


The New Frontier

by stella_pegasi



Category: Stargate - All Series, Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Community: sgareversebang, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-17
Updated: 2014-06-17
Packaged: 2018-02-05 01:54:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,834
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1801126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stella_pegasi/pseuds/stella_pegasi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In 1882, the bustling mining town of Bodie, California experienced its share of violence and out of the ordinary occurrences, but they weren’t prepared for what happened one starry night. The appearance of a strange flying object and a huge explosion frightened the citizens of Bodie, and it was up to Sheriff John Sheppard to defend the town.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The New Frontier

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Art: Frontierland](https://archiveofourown.org/works/1705184) by [anuminis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anuminis/pseuds/anuminis). 



> This story was written for the SGAReverseBigBang based on an amazing piece of graphic art by anuminis. Her work is stunning and this piece is no exception. When I saw this posted on the claiming post, I had to write this story. I can only hope it does justice to the art.

Bodie, California, 1882.

 

The fist fights began before the sky turned from rosy pink to inky black. Bodie’s two jail cells were at capacity by the time Sheriff John Sheppard returned from dinner.

Sheppard tossed his black hat on the desk and walked across the narrow room where his deputy, Evan Lorne was sprawled in a chair, sound asleep. A wicked grin on his face, he kicked Lorne’s boots, then laughed aloud as the deputy jerked awake and fell out of the chair.

As he pushed himself up and off the floor, Lorne griped, “Sheriff, I swear you’ve got a mean streak.”

“Sorry… you were just too good of a target.” Sheppard jerked his head toward the cell, “Anybody left in the saloons?”

“Not many. Our guests are some of the boys from the Black Creek camp. First time they’ve left the camp in two months. Had a lot of gold with ‘em.”

“Hope they still have some of that gold left.”

“Watched them come into town. They headed straight for the bank. One of ‘em told me they left their gold in the vault.”

Sheppard shook his head, “No wonder McKay looked happy at dinner; he’s got new customers.” He plopped down in his desk chair, slinging his boots, spurs spinning, onto the edge. “You got Rodriguez and Brenner patrolling the saloons?” Lorne nodded, saying last he saw the deputies was at the Pegasus saloon. Sheppard continued, “Then go get some grub. I’ll watch the flock 'til you get back.”

Lorne grabbed his hat and took off for the hotel dining room, leaving Sheppard to watch the prisoners. His brow furrowed as he tried to block out the heavy snoring, wondering why he had agreed to come to this godforsaken town.

Two years ago, he was the assistant police chief in Saint Louis. Now, he was sheriff in a backwater town populated with men and a few women from all over the world, all hell-bent on becoming rich quick. Men away from their families, or without attachments, who, when they did venture into town from the numerous mining camps covering the Sierra foothills, drank and gambled heavily. Behavior he would have arrested people for without question in Saint Louis he now ignored. Now, he only arrested the ones who chose to injure or kill. The drunken fighters were jailed only to sleep it off. The town might look quiet, but it could be violent, a level of violence he hadn't experienced in Missouri.

Missouri. He was a world away from civilization. His fault, Sheppard supposed, but that’s what he got for deciding to do the right thing. He’d always believed policemen should be honest and uphold the law. The corrupt members of the Saint Louis police department didn’t like his attempt to stop them. They were still in Saint Louis, and he was in Bodie, California. As close to hell as he chose to get.

The wooden shutters on the front windows rattled, distracting him from his thoughts. The wind was picking up, bringing a chill down from the mountains. It was late October, the days still warm and the nights cold, but from the chill in the air, he wondered if snow wasn’t coming early. He wasn’t looking forward to another winter in this desolate country, but he didn’t have any other place to go.

A mumble from the other side of the room brought him to his feet. Sheppard grabbed the keys from a hook on the wall behind his desk and walked over to the cell. One of the regular drunks was awake. He leaned on the cell door, “Eddie you sobered up?”

“Might reckon I am, Sheriff. You gonna let me go?”

“Will I see you back here tonight?”

“Naw, I won’t get into no more fights. Want some grub, then play some poker.”

Sheppard unlocked the door, “My deputies are at the Pegasus saloon. You see them, tell them I released you.”

“I will, Sheriff… I will.”

As Eddie headed out into the street, Sheppard re-locked the cell door and returned to his desk, lighting the second oil lamp. He picked up the pouch delivered by the stage coach in the afternoon and settled in to read the latest newspapers and wanted posters while he waited for Lorne to return.

Thirty minutes later, Deputy Lorne returned carrying a pot of coffee. “John, want a cup?”

“No, going to head over to the Pegasus for a bit, promised McKay I’d let him try to win back what I won from him at poker last night.”

As he sat the pot down on the hot stove, Lorne chuckled. “Not gonna let that happen, are you?”

“No way.” Sheppard stood up, pointing to the pile of posters on his desk. “Look through those - there are a couple of bad hombres I'd just as soon not see coming through here, and make sure Ramon and Paul see them. The pulp novels you ordered are in the pouch, I’d like to read them when you’re done with them.”

“Will do, and by the way, Caldwell’s back, and he’s at the Pegasus, arrived on the stage this afternoon. Sorry, I forgot to tell you when you got back from the stamping factory.”

“Great, that means McKay’s probably already sniping with him. I’d better get over there. I knew when Caldwell came here to start buying gold, there was going to be trouble.”

Sheppard felt cold. The white shirt and black vest he was wearing weren’t enough for the chilly night. He reached for his black leather duster hanging on a coat rack, grabbed his hat and headed for the saloon. Dust was swirling, blown by the cold wind, and he pulled the collar of his coat up. He glanced over at the newly built hotel, the Sierra Inn, wondering what the manager was doing. He shuddered, not from the cold, but from the images springing into his head. Such thoughts about the lovely widow Savannah Woolsey were dangerous.

As he walked on toward the Pegasus saloon the image of the dark-haired beauty, who had arrived in Bodie two weeks ago, filled his mind. Her father Richard Woolsey was Bodie’s mayor. He’d come to Bodie to open a general store, selling mining equipment and dry goods. Woolsey’s penchant for meddling led him to run for mayor, and Sheppard had to admit he had done a good job. They got along fine but there was no doubt Woolsey was clearly not happy when he’d first met Savannah. Their immediate attraction was obvious, but Woolsey’s displeasure was just as obvious. He’d decided to keep his distance for a while, but chatting with Savannah tonight during dinner was making that decision harder.

Stepping up on the wooden boardwalk, the sound of his spurs jangling wasn’t the only sound he heard. Over the tinkling of the player piano in the saloon, he heard Rodney McKay, who owned Bodie’s lone bank, and Steven Caldwell squabbling. Taking a deep breath, he pushed open the doors and stepped into the dark, smoky saloon.

“Just tell me, are you planning on opening another bank? It’s a simple question, why won’t you answer it?" McKay, stretching in an attempt to stand eye to eye with the taller Caldwell, had his finger pressed into the man’s chest.

In one motion, Caldwell grabbed McKay’s arm, twisting it until the banker was on his knees. Sheppard crossed the distance in two long strides, and grabbed Caldwell’s other arm.

“Let him go or I’ll break this arm.”

Caldwell glowered but released McKay, who nearly fell to the floor. Looking at Sheppard, his eyes narrowed, and he said, “Keep him away from me. I have every right to do what I want to do in Bodie. If he can’t handle a little competition, he can sell me his bank.”

“You lay a hand on him again, and you answer to me.” Sheppard didn’t need to stretch to stand eye to eye with Caldwell. “I’ve told you before, you keep pushing, and I will, too.”

“Gentlemen,” a soft feminine voice cut through the tension, “why don’t you let me get you a drink.” Both men turned, seeing Elizabeth Weir, the saloon’s proprietress smiling at them. “I really have enough trouble keeping the peace in here without you two fighting.”

Sheppard looked at Caldwell, “You heard me.”

Nodding to Weir, he grabbed McKay by the arm and steered him toward a table where Carson Beckett, the town’s doctor, and Chuck Campbell, reporter for the Bodie Gazette, were already working on a bottle of whiskey. On the way, he nodded to his two young deputies who were sitting at a table near the door. Sheppard and McKay sat down, and Beckett poured them both a drink.

McKay gulped his drink down and motioned for another then gulped it as well before he spoke. “I hate that bastard.”

Sheppard downed his first shot, “You only hate him because he’s a threat to your profits, admit it.”

“I hate him because he’s an ass,” McKay grabbed the bottle pouring another shot, “and yes I hate him because he’s cutting into the bank’s revenue. I have investors who will be quite unhappy with me if I start losing money.”

Beckett snorted, his voice slurred, his Scottish brogue thicker the more he drank. “Ya need to drink more. Good whiskey makes me feel better.” He snatched the bottle back from McKay.

Sheppard took the bottle away from Beckett, “Well you’re certainly feeling fine.”

“Aye, laddie, I feel wonderful.”

McKay slumped in his chair, “Caldwell’s a crook. I know it, and you need to stop him.”

Sheppard leaned forward, “The only thing I can see he’s guilty of is making you mad.”

McKay’s eyes narrowed and he sat up, grabbing the deck of cards in front of him, “I am so taking your money tonight.”

Smiling, Sheppard said, “We’ll see about that, deal.”

As McKay divvied up the cards, Beckett punched Sheppard in the arm, “Chuck and I’ve been having fun watching Elizabeth and Caldwell. She’s all over the lad.”

“He’s got money, Carson, and Elizabeth likes money. A match made in heaven,” Sheppard replied.

Carson bellowed, and the men started playing their first hand. They were on their third hand when a miner ran into the saloon, obviously frightened. “Sheriff, come quick… there… there’s a monster out there.”

Sheppard jumped up and ran toward the door, gun already drawn. He yelled to Rodriguez and Brenner to follow him, and the three men ran into the dark street. The saloon patrons poured onto the boardwalk behind them.

The moonless night was pitch black, the street dimly lit by an occasional torch. The horses tied up in front of the saloon were uneasy, whinnying softly. A quick scan up and down the street revealed patrons spilling onto the sidewalks from other saloons, as well, but no monsters, only a deep droning hum pierced the silence. Sheppard felt a prickly sensation flow through his body, and the ground beneath him trembled. The sound was coming from above them and as he looked toward the night sky his blood ran cold.

Several of the saloon girls screamed, and Sheppard heard Elizabeth snap at them. Others gasped at what they saw. An enormous object was moving rapidly above them, absorbing the canopy of stars in the night sky as it passed over. As it continued toward the edge of town, the low hum became a high-pitched whine and the object darted away, the sound fading.

No one moved. Sheppard later remembered wondering if anyone had even taken a breath. They stood in the cold night air for what seemed like an eternity before Sheppard found his voice.

“Okay whatever that was is gone. Everyone just go back to what you were doing, and we’ll keep…”

Sheppard stopped as the night sky lit up, a bright flash appearing in the east over the low peaks surrounding the valley Bodie lay in. A large fireball appeared in the distance, lighting up the darkness, and sound akin to thunder echoed around them.

McKay asked, his voice timorous, “What was that?”

“I don’t know what that was. The Timber Peak mine is out that way, maybe their dynamite blew up.” He turned to the crowd, “Go on back inside. We'll check this out tomorrow.”

Some of the saloon patrons rushed back inside as if the buildings provided solace, other lingered on the boardwalk, eyes riveted toward the glow coming from the east. Sheppard motioned Lorne, who had left the jail when he heard the commotion, and McKay and Beckett to join him down the boardwalk, away from the crowd.

His voice still quivering, McKay asked, “I’m asking again, what was that?”

Not so certain his voice wasn’t just as shaky, Sheppard replied, “I don’t have any idea.”

Beckett, sober now, said, “That sounded like some kind of mechanical thing but how…” He took a breath, “Could it be one of those dirigibles like I saw in France years ago?”

“I… I don’t know. I've seen pictures of them. Do they make that kind of sound?”

“Those things are noisy, but I don’t remember exactly what they sounded like.”

Lorne asked, “You think it’s a coincidence that something exploded out there?”

Sheppard shook his head, “Don’t believe in coincidences. I figure whatever it was that came through here may have exploded.”

“You don’t think it was the Timber Peak mine?”

“I’d like to think that was the case, but my gut tells me something more than we can imagine is happening.” He rubbed his hand along his chin, staring at the pitch-black sky, “It’s too dark to ride out tonight. Lorne, at sunup, get the regulars together. We’re gonna go see what that was.”

~ooOoo~

 

Blackjack whinnied loudly in protest at being saddled up so early in the morning. Sheppard patted the sleek black stallion on the neck, “Your problem is you’re spoiled, ‘fraid you’re going to miss your midmorning oats.” He slung his saddle over the horse’s back and was buckling the straps when McKay walked in.

“What are you doing here?”

“I’m going with you.”

“You on a horse?”

“I can ride, you know.” McKay walked over to a stall where the groom was saddling a horse.

Sheppard smiled, a posse a few months ago to rescue a kidnapped girl had proven McKay could ride. That he had courage, not backing down when the crazed kidnapper had pointed a gun at him, was a bit of a surprise. He’d been skeptical about the banker from Canada, figured McKay would fall off the first time the horse jumped, or he would run from a fight. He was quite surprised when he saw that Rodney McKay was not only braver than he expected but was an excellent rider. His only problem was a tendency to pull too hard on one rein, not keeping the horse in a straight line.

“I know you can ride, just didn’t figure you’d want to go out with us.” Sheppard’s tone turned serious, “We don’t know what we’re going to find.”

“Not scared,” McKay said, then paused, “Well maybe scared. I figured with you and Lorne around it wouldn't be too dangerous, and I’d take my chances. I want to know what we saw last night.”

“I didn’t figure you’d leave the bank. It'll take about three hours to get to the camp and we might not be back until tomorrow.”

“No problem, Zelenka will barely let his mother take money out of the bank. He’ll be fine.”

“Okay,” Sheppard replied and led Blackjack out of the stable, McKay following.

Waiting for them were Lorne, Beckett, Campbell, four other riders and to Sheppard’s surprise, Richard Woolsey. Tethering his horse, Sheppard walked over to Woolsey.

“Mayor, you coming with us?”

Woolsey was fiddling with his gun belt, “There could be a threat against my town. Yes, I’m going with you.” He nodded his head toward Lorne, “You leaving the two youngsters to watch the town?”

Sheppard chuckled, “Ramon and Paul are not that young. The town’s in good hands while we’re gone.”

“Why’s the doctor coming with us? Shouldn’t he stay here in case he’s needed?”

“He’s worried someone might be hurt in the explosion. He said Doctor Biro can handle anything that comes up.”

Shaking his head, Woolsey muttered, “Who would have thought we’d have a woman doctor?”

“Times are changing, Mayor.”

He was about to order rider’s up when a shout from a familiar voice halted him. Turning around, he saw Savannah Woolsey running toward them, her gray cloak swirling around her. His pulse quickened as he watched the petite woman come to a breathless halt in front of him and her father.

Brushing her dark tresses from her face, she spoke to her father while giving Sheppard a sly smile. “Dad, I packed some fresh-baked biscuits and salt-pork, there’s enough for everyone.” She was about to hand the large leather bag to her father, but Sheppard took it from her.

“Thanks for bringing us food, I’ll carry it on Blackjack.” He glanced down at his gloved fingers, which remained entwined with hers. Raising his gaze, his heart skipped a beat as he saw her dark-green eyes were wide, her breathing rapid.

Savannah withdrew her hand, “You’re welcome.” She gave her father a quick peck on the cheek, “Now you be careful. All of you be careful.”

Securing the food over his bedroll attached to the rear of the saddle, Sheppard nodded, “We’ll be careful.” He lingered, looking into her eyes for a moment, then announced, “Let’s go. Day's not getting any younger.”

The Timber Peak camp was about fourteen miles from Bodie, and Sheppard reckoned the fireball they observed hit somewhere before they reached the camp. To keep the horses fresh, he told the scouting party to take it easy. He had to admit he was worried they may need to retreat quickly, and he didn’t want the horses tuckered out and unable to run fast.

The terrain was rough, rocky slopes and low scrub as far as they could see. The riders rode the trail to the Timber Peak camp for about an hour before they came across a couple of miners heading toward Bodie. Dismounting, Sheppard was walking toward the men, when one of them jumped off his horse and hurried toward him.

“Sheriff, we was just coming to town to tell you. We saw a big explosion last night. Reckon it came from about two miles south of the camp, somewhere near the old Parker Mine.”

“Did you see anything else, something dark and moving across the sky?”

“No, Sheriff, ain’t seen anything like that. I can tell ya, that explosion rocked the camp. We thought it was one of them earthquakes.”

“You going back to the camp?”

“No, reckon we’ll head into town. Mister Burke sent us with a supply list.”

“Okay, thanks.”

Sheppard walked to Blackjack taking a swig from his canteen, then joined the others who had dismounted to stretch their legs. “Fellow said Burke sent them to town to tell us about the explosion. They reckoned it happened about two miles south of the camp, so when we get to the junction where the trail splits off toward the Bear Creek mine, we’ll head that way for a bit.”

Woolsey asked, “Did they see anything?”

“Said the explosion shook the camp so hard they thought it was an earthquake. He said they didn’t see a dark object in the sky.”

Campbell was scribbling into a notebook as Sheppard recounted the miner’s story. He asked, “Do you know that miner’s name?”

“No, and you’re not chasing after him.”

McKay cleared his throat, “Uh… those biscuits Savannah brought, can I have one? I’m hungry.”

“You’re always hungry, McKay.” He grabbed the saddlebag with the food, “We all might as well eat a bit,” and passed around the bag.

Ten minutes later, Sheppard untethered Blackjack, and announced, “Mount up, we need to get moving.”

An hour passed before they came to the fork in the trail, where a narrow creek meandered down from the Bear Creek mine toward the valley. Twenty minutes later, they reached the old Parker mine trail. The group of riders turned onto the little-used trail and rode for about a mile before Sheppard motioned for everyone to halt. He hopped off Blackjack and walked a few feet ahead, motioning for Lorne to come with him. He hunkered down and pointed to a fresh wagon track in a patch of loose dirt.

“What would a wagon be doing coming through here?”

“Don’t know, it’s been over a year since the mine caved in. Nobody’s been out here since then as far as I know.”

“Maybe someone’s trying to open it up again without filing a claim. We might need to check it out.” Sheppard stood up, “But not until we figure out what happened last night. Let’s ride.”

The sun was nearing zenith when they reached the top of a ridge, to their left, the trail continued to the old mine. To the right of their destination, the smoke plume they had been following for the last hour was in the valley below them, tucked into a canyon.

Mayor Woolsey pulled up next to Sheppard, “What in heaven’s name made that?”

An enormous crater sat at the end of the narrow canyon, its rim nearly touching the sloping sides of the surrounding ridge, smoke rising from the deep hole. Strange-shaped objects, reflecting the sunlight, lay strewn across the canyon floor. Sheppard noted evidence of the fireball they'd witnessed - burned sagebrush and scorch marks along the rocks.

Sheppard asked, “Beckett, you got those binoculars with you?”

Beckett slid off his horse and pulled a pair of ivory binoculars from his saddlebag and handed them to Sheppard. While he adjusted the eyepieces, Lorne, who painted in his spare time, was hastily sketching the scene in a notebook Chuck gave him.

Gazing at the crater, Sheppard whistled. “There’s something in that hole.” He turned around, “Wayne, Pete, stay here. If anything happens, I want you to head to town to get help.” He handed the binoculars to Beckett and tugged on the reins. “Let’s go see what’s down there.”

The journey down the ridge was slow and tedious as the horses picked their way through the smoldering sagebrush and rocky terrain. Heat and smoke radiated from the crater, and an acrid smell was drifting toward the riders.

Reaching the valley floor, Sheppard halted and dismounted, “Lorne, with me, the rest of you wait here.”

As he and Lorne started walking toward the crater, Sheppard heard footsteps behind him. He spun around, to find the others following, “Didn’t I tell you to wait?”

McKay said, “I want to see as well.”

Woolsey nodded, “Me, too.”

Sheppard dropped his shoulders, “Okay, but be careful.”

Approaching the rim, the heat was stronger and the pungent smell was nearly overpowering. Some rocks deep in the hole were still glowing red in the bright sunlight. Sheppard stepped to the edge and leaned over to peer into the crater, rising hot air and smoke driving him back a step.

The impact had driven the object deep into the rocky ground. Whatever it was it was enormous, bigger than a locomotive. Its dark-gray metal was twisted and scorched.

Lorne whistled, “That thing is huge. What in tarnation is it?”

“I have no idea,” Sheppard walked over to a piece of charred debris, kicking it with the toe of his boot, his spur rattling. “This is heavy.” Dropping to one knee, he picked up the ragged segment, roughly the size of a book. It was hot, the warmth penetrating his leather gloves. Examining the metal surface, he took note of the mottled gray color and the grainy texture. Turning the piece over, he found the underside covered with a hard brittle material, most of which had been burned away.

“Mayor, you’ve lived back east since I left there, ever seen or heard of anything like this?”

“No, I haven’t and I can’t imagine what it is. It looks like a locomotive, but how in the world did it get here.”

Sheppard shuddered, “Don’t look at me. I don’t have a clue.”

Lorne called to him, “Sheriff, over here.” Lorne and one of the temporary deputies were standing next to a large piece of metal.

“It’s got some kind of writing on it, but I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Sheppard hunkered down, peering at the writing, “Looks like hieroglyphics.” He pointed to the edge where there were three elongated triangles with two arched lines nearly touching the tips, “This almost looks like a star.”

McKay asked, “How do you know what hieroglyphics look like?”

“My parents took my brother and me to Egypt to see the Pyramids when we were youngsters.”

“Really?”

Rising, Sheppard said, “Really.” He put his hands on his hips, “I know we keep asking this, but what is this thing?”

Beckett offered, “A dirigible like we discussed last night?”

“Hell if I know. Aren’t those things made mostly of fabric?” He looked around, “Chuck, come here.”

The reporter was writing in his journal, but hurried over to the sheriff, “Yes, sir.”

I want Lorne to sketch everything and you write a description of all the debris. You got another one of those journals?”

“Always carry extras.”

“If you’ve got two, give the mayor and McKay one.” To the others, “I want a catalogue of all the debris, and those that have designs on them, sketch those. If something looks really interesting, have Lorne draw it. When we get back to town, Chuck, I want you to get all this together to send to Sacramento.”

The men had been scouring the canyon floor for about two hours, when Sheppard got thirsty. As he walked to his horse to get his canteen, he noticed movement on the canyon rim. He continued toward Blackjack, unhooked his canteen and took a drink, raising his head, scanning the top of the canyon wall. Someone was watching them.

Sheppard replaced his canteen, and casually walked toward Lorne. “Don’t look up but we’re being watched. After I walk away, take a look, let Jose and Andy know. I’ll tell the others. Tell them not to look for him, you and I will keep watch.”

The men worked for another hour, managing to catalog the majority of the pieces. Sheppard glanced at his pocket watch. It was close to four in the afternoon, which meant about two hours of sunlight left. It would take at least an hour to get back to the main trail and a good camp site. He walked over to McKay and Lorne, who were placing a few of the smaller pieces of debris into saddlebags.

“Need to get packed up here, I want to get past the fork down to the flat land along the creek. It’s the best place to camp and water the horses.”

Lorne picked up the saddlebags and asked, “See our friend anymore?”

“Just once more - he’d moved to the opposite side of the canyon, then disappeared.”

McKay looked hopeful, “Maybe just a passing miner?”

Thin-lipped, Sheppard answered, “I suppose, but I have this feeling it’s more than that.”

“I hate it when you get that feeling,” Lorne said.

Sheppard cocked an eyebrow, “Yeah, so do I.” Louder he said, “Come on everyone, get this stuff loaded and head back.”

The steep trek to the top of the ridge where they'd left Wayne and Pete took longer with the horses carrying more weight. When they reached the summit, as Sheppard dismounted, Wayne and Pete approached him.

Pete shook his head, “What happened down there, Sheriff.”

“Don’t have any idea, but something sure did. Did either of you see anyone on the rim around the canyon?” he asked the two auxiliary deputies.

“Pete said he thought he saw something moving around, but I never spotted it - too far away.”

“Okay, let’s mount up and get to the camp site by nightfall.”

The sun was low in the horizon, and they were about a half-mile from the camp when they came upon the wagon. A very tall man with long hair styled in what appeared to be braids was wrestling with a wagon wheel. A tiny woman with flowing copper-colored hair, wearing a pale dress, was holding the axle steady. Sheppard and the others rode up to them and dismounted.

“Need a hand?” Sheppard asked, as he handed Blackjack’s reins to McKay.

The man nodded to his companion who rested the axle on a rock they'd apparently dragged over. He stood up, brushing his hands off on a pale tan duster draped across the buckboard of the wagon.

“Wheel’s loose, trying to tighten it up.”

The man’s voice was deep, his manner deliberate. Sheppard noted a small tattoo on his neck, resembling Chinese characters. He also noticed the weapon strapped to his hip. Cord wrapped around the gun’s handle, the remainder concealed within a long leather holster. The holster’s belt held a sheath for an ebony handled knife.

Sheppard said, “I’m Sheriff John Sheppard. We’ll give you a hand.”

The riders dismounted, Wayne grabbing some wire from a saddlebag. They began to help repair the wagon wheel as Sheppard turned his attention to the woman.

She was lovely, skin the color of coffee with cream. Her copper hair glinted in the golden rays of the setting sun, but her large brown eyes were wary. Sheppard didn’t sense she was frightened, but she was definitely distrustful.

Giving her his most charming smile, he asked, “You know my name, what’s yours?”

She took a breath, then staring directly into Sheppard’s eyes, replied, “I am Teyla Emmagan.” Pointing to the man, “He is Ronon Dex… my husband.”

“Nice to meet you," he pointed to Woolsey, "That's Mayor Richard Woolsey, Rodney McKay, who owns the bank in Bodie, and the town’s doctor, Carson Beckett.” Sheppard paused, chewing on his bottom lip, “If you don’t mind my asking, why are you two out here? Coming back from the Timber Creek mine?”

Teyla’s left eyebrow raised, “No. We heard in town that there was an abandoned mine near Timber Creek, and decided to see if it would be worth staking out.”

“I see. What did it look like when you got there?”

“It does not appear the mine can be reopened. The cave-in was extensive.”

“You living in Bodie?”

She glanced at Ronon, then nodded, “Yes. We were fortunate to find a small dwelling to live in. We only arrived in Bodie about three weeks ago. Now if you will excuse me, I will go help them with the wagon.”

As Teyla walked away, Sheppard crossed his arms, staring after her. McKay poked him in the ribs, “Lots of pretty women moving into Bodie recently.”

Sheppard pursed his lips, glancing sideways at McKay, “That’s true, but I think this pretty woman is hiding something. You ever seen them before?”

McKay shrugged, “No. I’d remember them, but I’m not always in the bank lobby.”

“Lorne,” Sheppard called to his deputy who hurried over. “You ever seen this two before?”

"No, but Rodriguez told me about a couple who rode into town early one morning, a couple of weeks ago. He said the man was really tall with strange hair, and he went on about how pretty the redhead was. Ramon watched them for a while. They went into Caldwell’s gold exchange and then to Woolsey’s general store. They came out with a lot of provisions and headed out of town.”

“When we get back to town, we need to check them out. Meanwhile, tell everyone not to talk about what we saw today.”

“That gut of yours telling you there’s something wrong?”

“Maybe. That wagon fixable?”

“Yes, the bolt came out where it attaches to the axle. Pete’s just about got it repaired.”

“Okay, we’re going to invite our new friends to camp with us. Let the guys know to keep an eye on them, discreetly, and set up watches for the night. With whatever happened out here and a couple of strangers turning up, I’d rather be cautious.”

Sheppard walked around the back of the buckboard, taking note of several new-looking blankets, a couple covering an object taking up half of the wagon. The man called Ronon was leading two horses to the hitch.

“Mr. Dex, let me help you.” Sheppard took the reins for one of the horses and began to hitch him up. “It’s getting dark. We're going camp just up the trail. There’s a creek there to water the horses and good level ground to bed down for the night.”

“We need to go on.”

“Wouldn’t advise that, no moon tonight. There’s some rocky terrain between here and town, not a good idea to try it with a wagon.”

Teyla walked up, “I believe the sheriff has a point, Ronon. It would be risky to attempt to travel to town. We should do as he suggests.”

Ronon only nodded in reply and finished hitching the other horse. Sheppard took the lead and the others followed him to the camp site, as dusk was beginning to fall. They unloaded the saddlebags from the horses and led them to the creek for water, while Jose started a campfire and began cooking dinner.

The first stars were appearing in the inky sky as they gathered to eat. McKay dived into his plate of beans and bacon and hard tack. As Sheppard took his plate from Jose, he noted Ronon turning the bread over, then looking at Teyla. She took a nibble off of her piece and nodded at him. Ronon then took a bite, followed quickly by another.

“McKay,” Sheppard said, “slow down a bit.”

“I was hungry,” McKay mumbled, “You got any more of those biscuits Savannah made?”

“Saving them for breakfast, eat your beans.”

The group ate in silence for a few moments. Sheppard took a sip of coffee and decided to ask some questions of the couple.

“Mind me calling you Teyla is it, and Ronon?”

She smiled, “Certainly. You may call us by our given names.”

Sheppard returned the smile, “Everyone in Bodie pretty much comes from somewhere else. Where are you from?” He watched closely as Ronon stopped mid-bite, and Teyla swallowed before she answered.

“We are from far south of here. We have been traveling, looking for a place to settle down.”

McKay chuckled, “Not sure this is the place to settle down, but you might get rich.”

Sheppard wrinkled his nose at McKay, “ _You_ might get rich.” He said to Teyla, “So you came here for the gold?”

“Yes, we have been fortunate to… pan for a bit of gold. We hope to find more.”

This time McKay laugh heartily, “Don’t we all.”

Deciding not to press the newcomers too much, Sheppard asked Woolsey about a new regulation the mayor had suggested to the town council. He knew the mayor would go on for a bit. When Woolsey finally ran out of steam, Sheppard asked another question.

“You said you found a place to live?”

A furtive glance was exchanged between Teyla and Ronon, before Ronon answered, “Cabin about a half-mile north of town.”

Lorne spoke up, “Lars Binders' place. The old man died back in July.”

“I know that place,” Sheppard said. “Pretty run down.”

Teyla’s eyebrow raised slightly, “Yes, it is in disrepair, but we are making do.” She stood up, “It is getting late, and we rose early, and I would like to retire now. Thank you very much for the food.”

Ronon finished his third piece of hardtack and also rose, “Food was good.”

Sheppard slipped off the rock, sitting on the ground, stretching his long legs toward the fire. He dipped his hat low on his forehead as if he was going to sleep, but he was watching Teyla and Ronon.

The pair retrieved a couple of bedrolls and blankets from the back of the wagon, spreading one on the ground and the other in the wagon bed. Sheppard remembered there was an object in the wagon taking up at least half of the space. There was just enough room on the wagon for the small woman to fit. After Teyla settled down, Ronon dropped onto the bedroll on the ground, covering his face with his hat.

Through the crackling fire, Sheppard overheard Chuck telling stories from his days working on a newspaper in San Francisco. He blocked out the sound of Beckett’s laughter as he focused on the two strangers. He wasn’t certain why, but he didn’t believe anything they told him. He needed to discover why they were really in Bodie.

~ooOoo~

 

Lorne’s hushed voice startled Sheppard. “Sheriff, wake up. We've got company.”

Instantly alert, Sheppard sat up, “What’s happening?”

“Pete thinks he spotted someone near the camp. He woke me, and I saw something moving, but it was really hard to tell what it was.”

Sheppard rose to his feet, pulling the Colt Peacemaker he carried from his holster, as he gazed at the lightening sky. He whispered, “At least it’s near daybreak, and we can see a bit. Where did you spot him?”

Pointing toward a rocky outcropping across the trail, Lorne said, “I spotted movement over there, but whatever it was disappeared behind those rocks.”

“Motioning to the other men, Sheppard whispered, “Split up, Lorne you go that way. I’ll go this way.” He turned to Woolsey, Beckett, McKay and Campbell, “Stay here unless I call for you.”

“We are coming with you.” It was Ronon.

Sheppard turned, seeing Ronon and Teyla armed with rifles. He said, “No, I want you to stay here.”

“We are more than capable of assisting you, Sheriff,” Teyla said.

She was holding the rifle as though she knew how to use it. Sheppard nodded, “Okay, stay with me.”

They advanced slowly toward the outcrop, watching for any movement, when a humming noise broke the silence. Seconds later, a focused beam of red light hit a rock to Sheppard’s right, shattering it. Lorne and his group scattered as shards of rock flew over them.

Sheppard yelled for everyone to take cover, now wishing he’d picked a less open area to camp. He turned to Ronon, who was hunkered down beside him. “You ever seen a weapon like that?”

The big man hesitated, then answered, “No I have not…”

Several bursts of red light erupted around them and Sheppard aimed toward the location of the light, but only heard his bullets hit the rock. A painful yelp from his left caused him to spin around in time to see Wayne hit in the shoulder by the beam. The deputy fell into the clearing.

“Cover me,” Sheppard yelled. He ran into the open, grabbing Wayne by the collar of his jacket and dragged the man toward the rocks. Another red beam struck the ground next to Sheppard, and he fired his Peacemaker toward the light. The next beam jerked skyward, and Sheppard thought he heard a muffled cry.

Teyla ran to assist him, grabbing Wayne under the arms, pulling him out of the way. Sheppard almost made it to the rocks when he heard the humming noise again. He turned firing toward their attacker, but a sharp burning pain coursed through his left thigh. Diving behind the rocks, he landed hard on his hip, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.

Lorne yelled, “Sheriff, you hit?”

“I’m okay, keep firing.”

There was a hole in his black pants leg, the edges scorched, blood seeped from a wound twice the size of a silver dollar. Ignoring the pain, Sheppard reloaded his Peacemaker and pivoted on one knee, aiming toward the far rocks.

From beside him, he heard Woolsey whisper, “Are you hurt?”

“Just a scratch. Didn’t I tell you to wait until I called you?”

“I could have sworn I heard you yell for us.”

Sheppard glanced at the mayor, who glanced back, eyes twinkling. He said, “Richard, glad to have you around.”

Another burst of red light struck nearby, and they fired again toward the attacker. As the bullets impacted against the rock, an intense bright white light appeared from behind the outcrop, gone as abruptly as it appeared.

Silence replaced the echo of gunfire as Sheppard and Lorne stood up, guns raised. Warning everyone to stay back, he and his chief deputy cautiously advanced across the trail. Pressing up against the outcropping, Sheppard slowly slipped around the rocks, then yelled for Lorne.

As Lorne appeared, Sheppard said, “There’s no one here.”

“How’s that possible?”

Sheppard dropped to his right knee to take a closer look at a boot print in the sandy soil. “No tracks either, just a few footprints, but no hoof prints.”

“John, what the hell is happening?”

“I don’t know.” He pointed to the print, which had several ridges and a five-pointed star inside a double circle in the toe area. “You ever seen anything like this?”

Lorne hunkered down on the balls of his feet, “Never seen a boot print like that, but that looks like the symbol we saw in the canyon."

Sheppard stood up, grimacing from the pain in his thigh, “Exactly.” He pivoted around, his eyes searching for any other clues. The sky had lightened from gray to a pale lavender, and a patch of red caught his eye. “Look here,” he pointed to the spot. “That looks like blood.”

Joining him, Lorne leaned down, tapping the pool of red fluid with his finger, “Sure looks like blood to me. There’re drops leading toward that rock.” Lorne gestured toward a rocky shelf about four feet from the ground. The ledge provided a good vantage point of their camp.

“Whoever was firing at us took a bullet.” Sheppard stood, hands on hips, gazing around. “The question is, where did he go?”

Sheppard yelled for Chuck, and the rest of the group came with him. After asking Chuck to sketch the print, he turned to the others.

“We need to get back to Bodie. Jose, get some coffee going while we get the horses ready, Pete, Andy, stand watch.”

At the campsite, they found Beckett attending to Wayne. Sheppard noticed Wayne’s shoulder looked just like the raw burned skin on his leg, only the wound covered more area.

“Doc, is he okay?”

“I think he’ll be fine but we need to get him back to the surgery.” Beckett motioned to the ground where his bedroll lay, “You’re injured, sit down and let me check that wound.”

I’m fine, just put a bandage over it.”

Beckett frowned but pulled some bandages from his bag and proceeded to dress Sheppard’s wound. “When we get to town, I’m gonna need to clean that up, laddie.”

“Okay,” he answered, wincing as Beckett fastened the bandage. “You ever seen wounds like this?

“The tissue damage resembles severe burns, but what kind of weapon could create this type of wound?”

“I don’t know.” Sheppard chuckled, “I keep asking myself the same thing, but I’m going to find out.”

Jose held up the coffee pot, and Sheppard left the doctor tending to Wayne. Coffee and biscuit in hand, Sheppard walked over to the buckboard, where Teyla and Ronon were hitching the horses.

“Thanks for helping back there.”

Ronon nodded and Teyla said, “We were pleased to help.”

“You ever seen weapons like that?”

Ronon answered, “No.”

“I was kind of hoping someone had.”

“I wish we could help, but we know of no such weapon, Sheriff.” Teyla picked up the bedrolls and blankets to fold. “Your man who was injured, he can ride in the back of the wagon. He will be more comfortable.”

“That would be kindly of you. Grab some grub, we’re leaving as soon as we can.”

~ooOoo~

 

“Get those pants off.”

Sheppard glowered, “Can’t you take care of this with me dressed?”

“No, laddie, I can’t treat you properly unless I can see how much damage has been done. So off with the pants and the drawers.” Flashing a cheeky grin, Beckett threw a sheet toward Sheppard, and said, “I’ll leave you to undress in private, put that over you.”

Sheppard tugged off his boots and socks, slipped off his slacks and quickly stripped off his long drawers. He sat on the cot in the exam room and draped the folded sheet loosely around him. When the door opened, he expected Beckett to enter. It wasn’t Beckett.

Savannah Woolsey was standing in the doorway, her eyes wide, “Oh. I was looking for my father. I heard a couple of people were injured.”

“Uh… he’s fine. He wasn’t hurt. I think he went with Lorne to the livery.”

“But you’re injured,” her eyes strayed to the wound on his thigh. “It looks painful.”

Sheppard pressed his lips together as he felt heat flush his cheeks, hoping he hadn’t turned red. Tucking the sheet around him, he said, “It’s not too bad, more like a burn.”

She stepped in, closing the door behind her. She glanced at the clothes he’d thrown onto a chair. “That’s good. When I arrived, no one was in the front room, so I decided to look around for him. Who else was injured?”

“Wayne, he runs the livery. He took a bad hit to the shoulder.”

“I’ve met him. I hope he’s going to be okay.” She hesitated, then asked, “Did you find out anything about what happened here?”

“Maybe, we found the location of the explosion, but we have more questions than answers.”

Savannah inhaled deeply, and Sheppard was more than aware of how she filled out the pink high-neck blouse she was wearing. Forcing his eyes upward, he caught a glimmer of a smile on her lips. Embarrassment flooded him as he realized he'd been caught.

“John, I should go.” Her hand on the doorknob, she continued, “I’m glad you aren’t hurt badly. I’ll see you later at dinner.” She exited the room, then turned to face him again. With an impish look in her eyes, she said, “By the way, Sheriff, nice legs.”

As the door closed, Sheppard dropped his head into his hands. He wasn’t certain if the mystery of the crater or the mystery of Savannah Woolsey intrigued him the most.

An hour later, he left Beckett’s surgery and walked the quarter mile down Main Street toward the claims office, where he rented a room on the second floor. After cleaning up a bit and changing clothes he headed for the jail. Along the way, several merchants rushed out of their stores to ask him what he'd discovered in the desert. Before they got back to town, he'd warned the scouting party to keep quiet. He wasn’t certain the town was ready to learn about what they’d seen.

By the time he reached the jail, his leg was throbbing, and he was thirsty. Paul Brenner was sitting at his desk, and jumped up as he walked in.

“Sheriff, you okay?

“I’m fine.” Sheppard sat down and pulled out the bottom drawer, removing a bottle of whiskey and a glass. Pouring a healthy shot, he downed it in one gulp.

Brenner pulled up a chair next to the desk, “You must be hurting. Never seen you drink this early in the day.”

He leaned back in the chair, “Been a long two days. Anything happened while I was gone?”

“We had a big fight at the Nugget, but we got it broken up. Let most of them sleep it off overnight. That guy,” pointing to the cell, “knifed one of the barmaids. I think it was by accident, but the cut on her arm was deep. Somebody broke into the liquor supply at the Nevada saloon, and a guest at the Sierra Inn was robbed of his poker winnings.”

“So, pretty quiet?”

Brenner chuckled, “Yes, sir. From what I hear, you had quite a bit of excitement. Lorne filled us in earlier.”

“No, it wasn’t quiet at all.”

Lorne and Rodriguez entered carrying a pot of coffee and a basket. Lorne sat the basket down, “Savannah sent food and coffee.” Opening the basket, he handed Sheppard a sandwich of sliced beef between two thick pieces of coarse bread.

Hearing her name, Sheppard’s face became hot again as he thought back to their encounter at the surgery. Taking a bite of the thick sandwich, he decided it was time to get to know the lovely Savannah a bit better.

Lorne grabbed a sandwich as well, and sat across from Sheppard, “As you requested, I had Ramon follow Teyla and Ronon.”

“They sure left the surgery in a hurry. Where did they go?”

Ramon said, “They headed for Mayor Woolsey’s store, loaded up some supplies, and then headed out of town. I only followed them through Chinatown. They took the road headed out toward where Lorne said they were living. I didn’t follow since they would have seen me.”

“Do you know what they bought?”

“I stopped back in the store, and found out that they bought wire and some food, along with some iron skillets.”

“Barbed wire?”

“No, Clyde said they asked for copper wire. That wire they keep in stock in case the telegraph office has to fix a line.”

“What would they want that wire for?” Lorne asked, then added, "Not good for anything else.”

“Back east the telephones use copper wire, but what those two want copper wire for, I have no idea.” Sheppard took a drink of coffee, and his deputies waited for him to speak again.

“Whatever is happening is definitely something we’ve never dealt with before, the weapon that guy used, how he disappeared. It's like something out of a Jules Verne novel.”

Lorne answered, “I was thinking that, read _From the Earth to the Moon_ a few years ago.

“Maybe those books aren’t entirely fiction.”

“Sheriff, not sure I like this,” Deputy Rodriguez said.

Sheppard chuckled, “I don’t either.” He took a deep breath, “Ramon, Paul. I want you to ride out to the Binders place tomorrow, tell them I just wanted to check on them, make certain the wagon didn’t give them any more trouble. I’d like to know what they are doing. If possible, see if you can find out what was in the back of the wagon, but don’t do anything to alarm them.”

“Will do, Sheriff.” Paul Brenner replied. Lorne then sent the deputies out to make their rounds.

Sheppard poured another drink, lifting the bottle toward Lorne, who declined. “Now what happened with the robbery at the Sierra Inn? That’s the third robbery in the last two weeks. Anyone able to give a description of the robber?”

Shaking his head, Lorne said, “Each victim said someone just appeared out of thin air, and stuck a weapon in their back. The next thing they remembered was waking up on the ground, money gone.”

“Out of thin air,” Sheppard’s brow furrowed. “Where have we seen that before?”

“You think these robberies might be related to the crash?”

“I don’t know what to think.” Sheppard tapped the desk with his long fingers, “Any new faces in town that stand out to you?”

Lorne flexed his shoulders, “Lots of new people coming into town. No one stands out in particular.”

“We need to find out who just got to town. I’ll check with Rodney, see if he knows of any new people. Tell the guys to stay sharp, pay attention to anyone who doesn’t look familiar.”

“I’ll go pass the word to the deputies, and start casually asking around about new arrivals.”

As Lorne opened the door to leave, a cold wind blew into the jail. Sheppard rose, taking two pieces of split firewood from the bin and threw them into the potbellied stove. He hated being cold, and as he poked at the fire, he considered hibernating all winter. He flushed with heat, not from the fire, but from the thought of who he would like to hibernate with.

Pushing that thought from his mind, he decided to head to the bank to see McKay and then check on Blackjack. He grabbed his hat, slipped on his coat and headed to the bank.

~ooOoo~

 

It was nearly seven in the evening when he walked into the dining room of the Sierra Inn. The sky had turned from fiery orange to a deep blue, and the oil lamps on each table had been lit, casting a warm glow over the dining room. The pale wallpaper with thin gold stripes and gleaming mirrors brought opulence to the rough mining town.

McKay and Beckett were already sitting at a table next to the window. As Sheppard slipped through the tables toward his friends, he looked around for Savannah, but didn’t see her. His disappointment surprised him.

“Well, you look forlorn, laddie, why the long face?”

McKay wiggled his eyebrows, “Carson, surely you jest. Our sheriff is pining for the lovely Savannah.”

“McKay,” Sheppard’s tone was razor sharp, making his meaning extremely clear.

Beckett snickered, “Ooh, from that reaction, I’d say you were right on target, Rodney.”

Sheppard frowned but chose not to reply, instead reaching for the bottle of whiskey sitting on the table. After pouring himself a drink, he downed it quickly.

“You need to drink a wee bit faster to catch up with us, laddie,” Beckett said, his brogue very distinct.

Beckett’s thicker brogue was telling - the doctor was a few glasses ahead of him, as usual. Carson was an enigma to him, a happy go-lucky charmer who enjoyed a good drink. Yet, the man had never failed to be ready in a crisis or take care of his patients. He was glad Carson Beckett was around.

“What’s for dinner?”

McKay smacked his lips, “Steaks, potatoes, some kind of vegetable, and apple pie for dessert.”

“You’re drooling, McKay. It’s not becoming in man of your importance.” Sheppard glanced at Beckett, who was grinning broadly.

“I am not drooling. It’s just we don’t get good steaks often. Savannah said she made an arrangement with a rancher near Mono Lake, who has a small cattle herd and will be shipping beef on a regular schedule. At least until the snow gets so deep the train can’t get through.”

“You saw her?”

McKay eyes betrayed his amusement, “I did. You got here too late. She and Woolsey are having a private dinner with smelting company owners who may build in Bodie.”

“Oh,” Sheppard pursed his lips and glanced toward the private dining room.

“Stop teasing the lad, Rodney.” Beckett turned to John, “The lass said to tell you she’ll be in the dining room after they finish dinner.”

“Thanks, Carson.” He poured the doctor and himself a drink and sat the bottle down, sneering at McKay, who only laughed.

Sheppard said, “Yeah, McKay, we won’t talk about you following our lovely schoolmarm Katie Brown around like a little puppy.”

“I do not.”

Beckett guffawed, “So that wasn’t you hanging out by the schoolhouse waiting for school to end?”

McKay turned bright pink, and poured his own drink.

Sheppard had taken the last bite of his apple pie when Brenner entered the dining room. A confrontation between two gamblers was getting out of hand. With a glance toward the private dining room, Sheppard followed his deputy out of the hotel.

Two hours later, Sheppard stood outside looking in the dining room window, debating on whether to go inside. The confrontation had turned into a full-blown fight, one of the men shooting the other before he and Brenner got to the saloon. Andy was grazed in the side by a bullet and the gambler gravely injured during the brief shoot-out. By time they carried the injured men to the surgery and took the other gambler to jail, it was getting late.

The oil lamps remained lit, and he decided it was time to talk to Savannah. He walked through the small lobby and entered the dining room, empty of diners at the late hour. Two of the kitchen help were clearing the tables and the side board. One of them acknowledged him and headed for the kitchen.

Sheppard wandered to the window, gazing out at the street, which was nearly empty. The saloons were full but many were staying in one location, not going outside, leaving with friends. Rumors about what occurred two nights before were spreading through town, rumors of ghosts, and some speculated about the devil coming to Bodie. He supposed the rumors were just as possible as what was really happening.

“John.”

As Sheppard turned, his breath caught at the sight of Savannah standing a few feet away from him. Her thick dark hair was in a soft twist, loose curls falling around her face. The silky white blouse she wore was low cut, the full-length sleeves sheer, her narrow black skirt fell gently to the floor. A gold locket, glinting in the lamplight, rested against the swell of her breasts, drawing his eyes.

She was carrying a bottle of scotch and two glasses, which she sat on the polished wood table, “You look like you could use a drink, Sheriff.”

Savannah poured two drinks, pushing one across the table, and gestured to the chair across from her. Sheppard took off his coat, draping it over another chair, and sat down.

Never taking his eyes off of her, he asked, “How did your meeting go?”

Savannah tilted her head, “Do you know everything that goes on in town?”

“Only the things that matter.”

“Did you have to bribe Rodney?”

The corners of his mouth turned up, “No. Rodney doesn’t lie very well.”

“When dinner was over, I excused myself to see how you were feeling. I must have missed you by a few minutes. To answer your question, the meeting appears successful, the gentlemen indicated their intention to build a smelting factory here.” She smiled, “My father can be quite persuasive.”

“That’s good.” He sipped his drink.

“How’s your leg?”

At her mention of his leg, his cheeks flushed hot, and he dropped his head hoping she wouldn’t notice. She did.

Her voice soft, she said, “Sheriff John Sheppard, I do believe you’re bashful.”

He looked up seeing the smile on her face, “You caught me off guard. I wasn’t expecting you, and my leg is fine.”

“Sorry, I… I should have left quickly, but… I wanted to make certain you were all right.”

Sheppard tightened his grip on the glass in his hand, as he gazed into her eyes. “To be honest, it hurts a bit. Beckett treated it with carbolic to keep it from getting infected and offered me morphine for the pain.”

“And you refused?” Savannah asked, and he nodded in reply.

“A bit bashful, and stubborn.” She leaned back in the chair. “What else do I need to know about you?”

“Well, you already know I have nice legs.”

Savannah laughed heartily and desire spread though him. She was beautiful when she laughed. Her fine boned face, dark-green eyes sparkling in the lamplight, her rosy lips, her shapely shoulders, everything about her was enticing.

She raised her glass, gazing at him over the rim, “That’s three new things I now know about you. With more to discover, I think." She took a sip of scotch, “My father is quite tight-lipped about what you learned yesterday. Everyone in town is speculating about that object in the sky, and some of their theories are bizarre, to say the least.”

“And you’d like to know what we discovered.”

“I’m curious but not if you choose not to tell me. I trust my father to do the right thing for Bodie.”

“Do you trust me?”

She took a shallow breath, “Yes I do.”

Sheppard chewed on his bottom lip as he decided what to do. He and the mayor had decided not to reveal what they discovered, but he found himself wanting to tell her. “I trust you, but I need for you to keep this to yourself for now.”

“I will. I promise.”

Sheppard recounted the trip to the crater and what they found along the way including the mysterious Teyla and Ronon, and the attack. Savannah remained silent as he spoke, and when he finished she appeared puzzled.

“John, I don’t…,” she shuddered, “I don’t understand, what could all of this mean?”

“Frankly, I don’t know. Have you ever seen this couple I described?”

“No, and I’m certain from the description you gave I would remember them, especially the man. I haven’t seen a man with dreads since I left New York. There were dignitaries from Northern Africa staying at the hotel once. They were quite handsome men.”

“Oh, you’d remember the extremely tall and handsome man with the dreads?”

She pursed her lips, nodding, “Yes I would. What woman wouldn’t remember a handsome man?”

Sheppard didn’t realize his eyes gave him away. He was jealous.

“If I didn’t know any better, Sheriff Sheppard, I’d think you were jealous.” She didn’t give him time to respond, asking, “What do you think is really happening?”

He paused for a moment, staring at her, “You read any Jules Verne?”

“Several of them… so you think this is like _From the Earth to the Moon_?”

“Sounds preposterous, doesn’t it?”

“Makes as much sense as anything.” She looked at the grandfather clock which sat in the dining room. “Closing time - I need to turn out the oil lamps, so no one will come in.”

“I’ll help.”

They went in opposite directions, making quick work of their tasks. Savannah was turning off the last lamp save for the one at the table where they were sitting, when she sensed Sheppard behind her.

She asked, “All done?”

He slid his arms around her, “Yes.” She barely came to his shoulder and he bent down, nuzzling her neck, and whispered, “You were right. I was jealous.”

Savannah gasped as his lips traced the length of her neck. He turned her around, “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known.” Brushing a tendril of hair off her face, he lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers, gently probing until she accepted the deepening kiss. Reluctantly, he pulled away and dropped his forehead against hers.

“I’ve been trying to stay away from you. Richard didn’t seem to like us together but it’s getting too difficult. When you said you would definitely remember a handsome man, I realized I didn’t want to stay away from you.”

She asked, “Afraid a handsome man would come along and sweep me off my feet?”

“Yes.”

She slipped her arms around him, “He already has.”

Sheppard cradled her face with his hands and kissed her. They were oblivious to everything but each other, until a sharp voice pierced the silence.

“Sheriff, uh… sorry… Lorne sent me - come quick.”

“What’s going on?”

“Widow Harrison, she was attacked at her shop. Says it was some kind of ghost. She’s at the jail.”

“I’ll be right there.” He turned to Savannah, “I have to go.”

“I’m going with you.”

“No, it might not be safe. Besides, it’s getting really cold.”

Savannah was already heading for the lobby, “I’m going. Cora does a great deal of sewing for me. I like her, and she has no one.”

Sheppard followed, grabbing his coat, slipping it on as he caught up with Savannah and helping her into her cloak. Hurrying along the wooden sidewalk, they were nearing the jail when Sheppard caught a flash of white light out of the corner of his eye. He stopped, drew his weapon, and pulled Savannah behind him.

She whispered, “What it is?”

“Quiet, I think I saw a flash like the one we saw this morning when we were attacked.”

Sheppard peered into the darkness past the dim street lamps, but the flash didn’t reappear. He grabbed Savannah’s arm and propelled her toward the jail. They entered to find Lorne and Brenner standing to the side of the room, while Doctor Beckett attended to Cora. Savannah slipped off her cloak and went to Cora’s side.

Sheppard asked Lorne, “What happened?”

“She came in about fifteen minutes ago, hysterical, said she saw a ghost. I sent Rodriguez and Andy to check it out.”

“Andy’s okay?”

Lorne nodded. “Doc said the wound was more like a scrape.”

“Mrs. Harrison saw a ghost - did she say anything else?”

“She was too upset. I had Brenner get Beckett, then find you.”

Beckett joined them, while Savannah spoke soothingly to Cora. “Something frightened her. She's a pretty levelheaded woman, not like her to scare easily. I gave her a shot of whiskey to calm her. She seemed to settle when Savannah came in.”

Sheppard nodded, “Time to talk to the Widow Harrison.”

The gambler they were holding for the earlier shooting yelled from the cell. “Sheriff let me out of here. I was defending myself.”

“You shut up, no more talking, or I’ll have my deputies gag you. Now sit down.”

Cora was a tall, thin woman, dressed in a long woolen robe. Her brown hair, streaked with gray and normally in a bun, was down, clasped at the nape of her neck. She sewed men's and women’s clothing, did mending and alterations, even making costumes for the saloon girls. She was shaking and flinched sharply when the prisoner yelled out.

He glanced at Savannah, then pulled a chair over and sat down in front of Cora. “Mrs. Harrison, can you tell me what happened tonight?”

“Call me Cora, Sheriff. And to be honest, I don’t know. I know what I think I saw but sitting here, thinking about it, it just couldn’t be.”

“Start at the beginning, Cora.”

“I was upstairs. I'd fixed a bit of dinner and decided to read a while. I was caught up on my sewing, so I had some time. I saw a flash of light outside my sitting room window and thought it was lightning. Didn’t pay it no mind, and went back to my reading. About five minutes later, I heard a noise downstairs. Something sounded like it had fallen over. I got my forty-five and a lantern, then headed downstairs. I thought some critter had gotten in.” Cora began to tremble, “It wasn’t a critter. It was tall man, about your height, Sheriff, with scars on his face. He looked at me as if he would kill me.”

“You’d never seen him before?”

“No, and I’d never seen the kind of clothes he wore. He was wearing a uniform I reckon. It was dark gray with a standup collar, but I never saw that kind of material before. He was wearing a holster, but it wasn’t leather like yours. It was made of some kind of shiny hard material, but it wasn’t metal.”

“Did he say anything to you or take anything?”

“He didn’t say a word, but took one of the bags of clothing that came in on the stage. Mr. Woolsey gets used clothes from back east to sell in the store. He always asked me to make certain they don’t need mending before he puts the shelves out on the shelves. I can’t tell you anything other than that there were men’s clothes in that sack.”

“What happened next?”

“He had some kind of big metal band on his left wrist. He touched it, and I was blinded by this white light. When I could see again, he was gone.”

Sheppard caught Savannah’s eyes, and could tell she shocked like he was. He asked Cora, “He disappeared?”

“Yes, just vanished, like a ghost. Everyone I talked to today said it had to be some kind of demon who's come to Bodie. He’s a demon. I know it.” Cora began to sob and Savannah hugged her, whispering to Cora that she was safe now.

Sheppard rose and told Beckett, “Carson, stay here with Cora and Savannah. We’re going to the shop.” He slipped on his coat, and as he was pulling on his gloves, he said, “Lock the door behind us and don’t open it for anyone until we return.”

“Aye, lad.”

As Sheppard opened the door, Cora spoke, “Sheriff there’s something else.”

He walked back to her, “What?”

“There was some sort of medal pinned to his jacket.”

“Can you describe it or draw it for me?”

“I can draw it.”

Lorne handed her a piece of paper and a pencil, and Cora concentrated as she drew the symbol. When she handed the paper to Sheppard, his blood ran cold, he handed it to Lorne. Lorne uttered a slight gasp as he saw what was drawn on the paper. The drawing was a five–pointed star surrounded by a double circle.

“John, this is the same symbol we saw on the debris.”

Cora spoke, her voice quivering, “A pentagram, the mark of Satan.”

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard and Lorne turned onto the alley between Rodney’s bank and the apothecary, leaving Brenner to keep an eye on Main Street. Cora Harrison’s seamstress shop was located in a small two-story building next to the rear of the apothecary. Her husband, who managed the town’s livery for many years, died of pneumonia the winter before. She now lived alone on the second floor.

Spotting lantern light at the end of the alley, Lorne said, “Looks pretty quiet.”

“I imagine whoever was here is long gone.”

As they approached the shop, Andy called out, “Sheriff, we found something.”

“What?”

“A footprint like we found on the trail.”

There was a water pump near the rear of the apothecary and the ground surrounding it was just damp enough for a footprint to be visible in the sandy soil. Sheppard and Lorne hunkered down, Lorne holding the lantern over the print.

Sheppard pushed his hat back on his head, “Same five-point star with the double circle. This is just getting better and better.”

He stood up, “Did you find anything else?”

Rodriguez said, “No, Sheriff, the shop door was wide open. We checked, but no one inside.”

Sheppard took the lantern and stepped inside the shop. Cora was tidy, bolts of cotton and silk fabric sat on shelves along one wall arranged by color. A large table sat in the center of the room, a sewing machine against another wall. Projects she was working on were neatly stacked on another table. It was dark, and the lantern wasn’t providing much light. Sheppard took a step back and felt something. He turned around and yelped.

Lorne came rushing in, his tone anxious, “John?”

“Drat, it’s a mannequin.”

Trying to hold back a chuckle, Lorne asked, “Frighten by a dummy, Sheriff?”

Sheppard adjusted his hat, “Yes, and if you tell anyone, you’ll work nights for the rest of your life.”

Lorne couldn’t hold back a laugh, “Might not be bad, working days _and_ nights now.”

“I believe Beckett would call you cheeky about now.”

Swinging the light around, he pointed to a group of large mail bags in the corner, “That must be the bags Cora was talking about. There are three here, get someone to check with the stage office tomorrow morning to verify how many were shipped. If he actually took one, we need to know for certain. Once he changes clothes, he’s gonna be harder to find.”

Exiting the shop, Sheppard said, “Andy, go home and get some rest. Ramon, close the shop door. We need to ask Cora where she keeps the key, and you come back and lock the place up. If I know Savannah, she’ll have Cora stay at the hotel tonight. Rest of you come with me.”

The men were almost to Main Street when a scream rose above the tinkle of player pianos and muffled voices coming from the saloons. Sheppard ran toward Brenner, gritting his teeth as pain gripped his thigh.

Brenner pointed toward the west, “Sheriff, just saw a bright blue light coming from the next alley. The scream came from that direction.”

The group ran down the center of Main Street, Sheppard halting them before they reached the alley entrance. He slipped up on the sidewalk, flattening against the building wall. Cautiously, he peeked around the corner, barely able to see. A streetlight on the corner of the alley cast just enough light for him to make out the man they were looking for rifling through the pockets of a man lying motionless on the ground. Cowering against the far building was a woman.

Sheppard whispered to Lorne, who was behind him, “Tell Brenner and Andy to go around back. They can pass through the Golden saloon. The rest of you, with me.”

They gave the two deputies time to get around to the rear of the building, then Sheppard entered the alley, Lorne and Rodriguez flanking him. The man was now walking toward the frightened woman. She was pleading with him to leave her alone.

Sheppard yelled, “Stop right there, put up your hands.”

The man whirled and raised his arm. Sheppard shot first, but the man leapt sideways, the bullet hitting the dirt. Before Sheppard could shoot again, the man grabbed the woman and held her in front of him.

“Let her go, you’re surrounded.”

The man looked over his shoulder to see Brenner and Andy, guns raised behind him. The man fired and a stream of red light escaped from the weapon he held, striking Sheppard in the chest. The sheriff slumped to the ground. In an intense beam of blue light, the man and woman disappeared.

Patrons from the Golden Saloon spilled out into the alley. The bartender ran up to Lorne, “Deputy, where’s Bonnie? She came out here with Hank Martin.”

“That Hank?”

“Yeah, is he dead?”

“Stay here,” Lorne ordered as he ran to Rodriguez who had rushed to Sheppard. Anxiously, he waited while Rodriguez pressed his fingers against Sheppard’s throat.

“His pulse is strong. He’s just unconscious.”

Lorne called to Brenner, who was checking Martin, “Is he alive?”

“Yes.”

“All right, Rodriguez, Brenner, take Sheppard to the jail, Beckett’s there. I’ll be right behind you.” He turned to a couple of men who had been in the saloon, “Take Martin to Dr. Biro at the surgery.”

Lorne motioned to Andy, “Round up a couple of guys and tell them search the town for Bonnie, and don’t engage the man if they see him. Once you do that, go home like the sheriff said.”

Lorne asked the bartender, “Do you know where Bonnie lives?”

“She lives upstairs with the other girls.”

“Okay, keep the girls inside tonight and if Bonnie shows up, let me know. I want to talk to her.”

Lorne hurried to catch up with Rodriguez and Brenner. When they reached the jail, he pounded on the door. “Doc, let us in, Sheppard’s hurt.”

The door flew open, Beckett ask, “Hurt? How badly?”

“He’s unconscious.”

“Take him into that empty cell.”

The deputies carried Sheppard into the cell and placed him on the cot. As Beckett retrieved his medical bag, Savannah loosened Sheppard’s shirt and placed a folded blanket under his head.

“John, can you hear me?” There was no response and she asked Rodriguez, “What happened?”

Lorne answered, his voice halting, “We’re not certain.”

She whirled around, “It’s all right. I know what happened in the desert. John told me tonight and on the way over here we saw a bright flash of light. Now, what happened to him?”

Beckett brushed past Lorne, “You’d better tell the lass, because you need to tell me.”

As the doctor began to examine Sheppard, Lorne explained what had occurred leading to Sheppard and the other man being wounded, and the saloon girl taken.

Savannah was kneeling at Sheppard’s head, “Are people looking for her?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Lorne nodded, “but I’m worried. I mean I don’t understand what’s going on here and to be honest, I’m a little scared.”

“You aren’t alone. I’m scared, Evan. I think we all are,” Savannah replied.

Rodriguez brought a bowl of water and a cloth Savannah requested. Wringing out the cloth, she asked Beckett, “How is he?”

Beckett, his shoulders slumping, relaxed. “The good news is his heartbeat is strong and steady, breathing’s fine, eyes responsive. The beam of light Lorne described acted like a lightning bolt, although how I don’t know. I’ve seen people struck by lightning and survive, with the same symptoms. He’s a strong lad, and I expect him to regain consciousness, but it might take some time.”

“We can’t leave him here. These bunks aren’t comfortable, and he’s injured.”

“His room is over the claim's office, nearly at the end of Main Street. That’s a long way to carry him. I think we’d better leave him here.”

“Carson, the hotel is very close, just across the street. He can stay there tonight.”

The corners of Beckett’s mouth turned up, “And I suppose you’ll keep an eye on him all night.”

Savannah didn’t look away from Beckett’s knowing smile, “Yes, I will.”

“I tell you what, let me go check on the young man who was hit and when I get back we’ll decide if we should move John.”

Beckett patted Savannah on the shoulder and left the jail. Brenner closed the door quickly as the cold desert air blew into the jail. Lorne threw more wood into the potbellied stove, then retrieved a blanket and a chair and brought them to Savannah.

“Thanks, Evan.” She spread the blanket around Sheppard, and pulled the chair closer to the cot.

Quiet settled over the jail, broken only once by the prisoner, who was quieted down by Rodriguez. Lorne made a pot of coffee and was pouring a cup for Savannah when the door opened. Two of the auxiliary deputies rushed inside, the young saloon girl between them.

One of the deputies said, “We were searching at the east end of Main Street, and she came running out of the darkness. She looks unharmed, but she’s really scared.”

Savannah rushed out of the cell, looking at Brenner, “Please get a blanket.”

Lorne rolled out the desk chair and Savannah led the frighten girl to it, wrapping the blanket around her. She knelt down, “You’re safe now.”

Beckett had returned shortly after Bonnie was brought in, and he handed her a ladle of water. She grabbed the bowl with both hands, taking a large drink. Beckett gave her a quick examination, not finding anything physically wrong. Knowing where Sheppard kept his whiskey bottle, he poured her a bit and the alcohol seemed to calm her more than anything.

Lorne waited until Beckett confirmed Bonnie was all right before he asked her, “Can you tell us what happened?”

Bonnie was shivering, appearing more frightened than cold, “I don’t know. Me and Hank went outside to talk for a bit, but it was getting really cold. We decided to go back in the saloon, when this… uh… light blinded us. There was a man standing in front of us and Hank yelled at him, wanted to know who he was. The man pulled some kind of weapon. We couldn’t see too much, only had a small lantern with us. Hank pushed me out of the way and pulled out his gun, but before he could fire, the man shot him. He killed him.”

Beckett said, “No, lassie, Hank is alive. He was just unconscious.”

“He’s alive? Oh, thank goodness.”

“What can you tell me about the gun?”

“Deputy, it didn’t look like any gun I’ve ever seen before. Hank got hit by some kind of red light. I don’t know.”

“He’ll wake up.”

Everyone turned in unison to see Sheppard leaning unsteadily against the cell bars. Savannah hurried to him.

“How do you feel?”

He slipped an arm around her for support, “My entire body is tingling, and I’m a little light-headed, but I’m all right.”

“Sheriff, sit down.” Rodriguez brought a chair to him.

“Thanks.”

Lorne said, “John, the man disappeared again, and this time he took Bonnie with him. We were looking for her when she came running back into town.”

Sheppard asked, “Bonnie, what happened?”

“I don’t rightly know. One minute I was in the alley, and then I was outside of town. I was on the main road out of town. He told me to run and pointed toward town. I’d just gotten to Chinatown when I saw your deputies.”

“Did you get a good look at him?”

“He had some kind of thing that glowed like a lantern but there was no fire. He was tall, ugly, scars on his face. He had on some kind of jacket with a fancy brooch on it. Can I see Hank?”

Beckett nodded, “Of course,” looking to the two deputies who brought her in, “Please take the wee lass to the surgery. I’ll be along in a moment.”

When they departed, he looked at Sheppard, “How do you really feel?”

“Dizzy, but I’ll live.”

Savannah asked, “Doctor, I still think it’s a good idea for the Sheriff to stay at the hotel tonight. It's closer to your office.”

Beckett shared a glance with Sheppard, then said, “Aye. I think John should stay the night at the hotel. That way, I can be close if he needs me. Now let me take a look at you before I leave, then Rodriguez and Brenner can assist you to the hotel.”

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard dropped his head onto the soft down pillow, allowing his body to sink deeper into the feather bed. It had been a long time since he had lain in such luxury. After the deputies assisted him up the stairs to the room, they left, and he had stripped off his clothes. A pitcher of hot water sat on the small potbellied stove, and he poured some into a bowl, added a bit of cold water and wiped off his face and body. Finally, sliding under the soft, clean sheets, he relaxed. The room was cozy, the fire crackling. He was beginning to feel warm again.

As he reached to turn off the lamp, there was a soft rap on the door. He called out, “Come in.”

Savannah entered, “I wanted to see how you felt.”

He didn’t answer immediately. He was too busy staring at her. Savannah was wearing a flowing white nightgown and robe, her dark hair falling in waves about her shoulders. “Not quite as dizzy, my skin is still tingling, but it’s getting better.”

She closed the door but didn’t move any closer. “I was so worried about you. I'm glad you are feeling better. Is the room all right, do you need anything?”

“The room’s nice, and the bed is very comfortable.”

“This is one of the rooms on the private wing.”

“Private?”

“Yes, there are two bedrooms, a sitting room and a bath on this side of the second floor, supposed to be for my father and me.”

Sheppard tensed, “Your father?” He didn’t think it was a great idea to have the thoughts he was having about Savannah if her father was sleeping in the next room.

Savannah smiled, “Don’t worry. He didn’t like sleeping in a room facing Main Street, said it was too noisy. He took a room on the third floor in the back.”

He attempted to hide his sigh of relief. “I could use a glass of water. I forgot to get one before I got in bed. Would you mind?”

Pouring a glass of water for him, Savannah walked to the side of the bed, “Did you really need water or did you just ask for this to lure me over here?”

Sheppard took a sip of water and sat the glass on the bedside table. “You saw right through me.” He grasped her arm and pulled her onto the bed, rolling her over until he was on top of her. “Now, _this_ is comfortable.”

“For you maybe,” Savannah croaked, “You’re heavier than you look.”

“Want me to move?” He whispered as he nuzzled her neck.

“No.”

His voice husky, Sheppard said, “I didn’t think so.” He kissed her as he tugged the robe from her shoulders, followed by the gown. “I didn’t think so at all.”

~ooOoo~

 

It was the end of October, and the sky was grey, heavy clouds hung ominously over the plateau. It was mid-morning, but it might as well have been dusk from the amount of sunlight drifting through the thick cover.

Sheppard was fully recovered from the blast he had taken, and had decided to accompany Brenner and Rodriguez to visit the mysterious couple. He’d had breakfast with McKay, who saw him come down the stairs with Savannah. McKay volunteered to ride with them on pretense that Beckett wanted him to keep an eye on Sheppard, in case he had a relapse. Sheppard knew better. McKay was bursting at the seams to find out what was going on between Savannah and him. Their destination was in sight before McKay dredged up the courage to ask.

“So, Beckett said you stayed at the hotel last night, to be closer in case you needed him. But you didn’t need him, did you?”

Repositioning his hat before he answered, Sheppard simply answered, “No.”

“Well, that tells me a lot.”

“Spit it out, McKay, what do you want to know?”

“Did you and Savannah… you know... did you?”

“Did we what?”

Sputtering McKay, said, “Don’t make me ask.” Sheppard stared straight ahead and McKay fumed, “Okay… I’ll ask. Did you spend the night with Savannah?”

“A gentleman never tells, McKay.”

Before McKay could respond, Brenner yelled out, “Sheriff, look.”

Blue flames were shooting from the rear of shed next to the house. The four men spurred their horses into a full gallop, racing toward the house, expecting to put out a fire.

In the few minutes before they arrived, the flames died down. As they rode onto the property, Ronon and Teyla emerged from the shed.

Sheppard slipped off his horse and said, “Did you get the fire out?”

Ronon and Teyla exchanged glances, and Sheppard decided he was going to find out what they were hiding.

“Look… I’m pretty sure you are not telling me the truth. There’re too many strange things going on in Bodie right now. Who are you?”

Teyla smiled, “Sheriff we are exactly who we said we are.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“There is nothing more to tell.”

Sheppard gazed at the beautiful woman, wearing a long pale dress, holster hanging low on her hip, looking both like she belonged in Bodie, and that she didn’t. Ronon, with the strange tattoo and dreads, was standing in front of the closed shed door. Sheppard was certain he was blocking the opening, and began to walk toward the shed. Ronon stepped into his path.

“What was on fire in the shed?”

“Nothing, just some wood.”

“I’ve already told you, I don’t believe you.”

Teyla walked over to him, “Sheriff, we have explained who we are. We are here to find gold like all the others.

“I’d like to believe you but not after what happened on the trail and with the strange happenings in Bodie. I can’t afford to believe anyone.”

“These strange happenings, Sheriff, could you explain?”

Sheppard recounted the incidents in town, including the robberies. He was keenly aware of the uneasiness between Ronon and Teyla. He took a step toward Teyla, and Ronon moved closer to him resting a hand on the butt of his twine-covered weapon.

“Don’t threaten me, my deputies are crack shots. If you kill me, you'll be dead before I fall to the ground. If you’re smart you will tell me…”

McKay cried out, and Sheppard whirled around in time to see his friend engulfed in red light before he crumpled onto the sand. Withdrawing his weapon, Sheppard aimed but wasn’t certain where the shot had come from. He motioned for Brenner and Rodriguez to fan out, telling Ronon and Teyla to find cover. They had other ideas.

Ronon yelled, “Get behind me.” He had withdrawn his weapon, a weapon that Sheppard had never seen before.

Teyla was carrying a smaller version of Ronon’s gun, “Sheriff… get your men behind the water trough.”

Another blast of red light coming from a rock outcropping struck the water, which boiled immediately, thick stream rising. Sheppard decided to listen, “Paul, Ramon, get McKay.”

The two deputies grabbed McKay, dragging him across the ground, while Sheppard, Ronon and Teyla provided cover. Ronon and Teyla fired toward the rocks, red light erupting from their weapons.

Once they had taken cover, Sheppard checked on McKay, relieved to find his pulse beating strongly. He had just turned around when a voice bellowed from the rocks.

“Commander Dex, Sub-Commander Emmagan, so nice to see you again. It’s been much too long. In the interest of time I will keep this short. You know what I want.”

Dex’s anger was palpable. He bit his lip hard before he responded, “Kolya, I will not honor you by using your rank. What you did on Athos was despicable. You deserve to die.”

“Die? I hardly think so, the Atlantian Alliance has waged war against us for years. It is time for _you_ to die.” Another barrage of weapons fire came toward them. This time the light was white.

Ronon and Teyla adjusted their weapons and fired back, the beam white as well. A volley of fire was exchanged, Sheppard and the deputies joining in. One of Kolya’s shots hit Teyla on her left arm, another struck Rodriguez in the shoulder.

Kolya appeared and Sheppard took a shot, hitting the man in the side. He grunted, grabbing his side and yelled, “I want your ship. You owe me.”

Dex stood up, weapon raised, “Thousands of innocent people died at the hands of the Genii. We owe you nothing. However, if you surrender, I will consider not killing you.”

Kolya said, “I will never surrender to the Atlantian Alliance. I'll die first.”

“Then you die.” Dex fired at the man, but the blast hit bare rock and Kolya disappeared in a burst of blue light.

Sheppard was slouched behind the large water trough. He blew out a deep breath, and looking at Ronon Dex said, “Time to tell me what’s going on.”

Slipping his weapon into his holster, Ronon nodded.

Sheppard crawled over to Rodriguez, to check on him. Brenner pulled a clean bandana from his coat pocket and wrapped it around Rodriguez’s wound.

“You okay, Deputy?”

“Yes, sir, just a scratch,” Rodriguez answered.

Brenner nodded, “Looks like it just grazed the skin on his upper arm, his thick leather coat's seen better days though.” The sleeve Rodriguez’s jacket was burned through.

Sheppard rose to his feet, and turned to Ronon, who was examining Teyla’s arm. He pulled a small canister from a leather pouch attached to his belt, and sprayed something over her wound. He held the canister out to Sheppard.

“Press this,” he pointed to the top, “and spray it on the wound. It will take the pain away.”

Sheppard handed the items to Brenner, “How’s McKay?”

“Pulse is still strong.”

“Sheriff,” Teyla touched his arm, “I believe it would be wise to leave here. Once he has located us, he will be back.”

“I agree. I need to get McKay and Rodriguez to the doctor, and he can look at you, too.”

“Time is of the essence. I assume he is running out of power for his site-to-site transport device. We must hurry. I promise we will tell you everything once we are somewhere safer.”

Ronon brought the horses from the barn and with Sheppard’s help hitched them to the buckboard. He then asked Sheppard to help him with something in the shed.

Inside the shed sitting on a roughhewn table was a long oblong object made of a gold-colored metal. The object, Sheppard thought, that had been covered in the wagon when they first met. An iron skillet, flecks of gold spattered all over it, sat on a grate over a smoldering fire pit. A coil of copper wire lay on the dirt floor.

“What is this?”

Ronon answered, “This is part of our engine. It was damaged, and we needed a place to repair it.”

“Let’s get it loaded, you can tell me the rest later.”

Once the engine component was loaded, they placed McKay next to it, Teyla riding next to him. Rodriguez felt well enough to ride on the buckboard with Ronon. With the other horses tied to the rear of the wagon, Sheppard took the lead and Brenner followed behind.

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard knocked the snow off his hat as he entered the jail. He removed his coat and tossed it over a hook. Lorne was pouring a cup of coffee and without asking handed it to him. Sitting down at his desk, Sheppard swung his feet up on the desk and took a sip before he said a word.

Lorne poured another cup, “Still snowing, I see.”

“Started when we were about halfway back. Bad sign when it starts this early.” Pointing to the empty cells, he asked, “Where’d that guy go?”

“Girl who got cut said it was an accident, didn’t want to press charges. I told him he had to take the next stage out of town.”

“Good, one less thing to worry about. Our guests settled in at the hotel?”

“Brenner took them over. How are Rodriguez and McKay?”

“Rodney was awake when I left Beckett’s and Biro was tending to Rodriguez. She said he was lucky. The burn was superficial.”

Lorne sat down, “Who are these people?”

Sheppard rubbed the bridge of his nose, his brow furrowed. “I’m not sure I want to know.” He noticed a stack of papers on his desk. “What are these?”

“Chuck stopped by with all the drawings and descriptions for you to review before sending them to Sacramento.” Lorne smiled, “He also told me when he started hearing all the rumors, he didn’t tell anyone what he was working on. Said Mr. Hammond agreed not to report anything until you said it was okay.

“I’m thinking I don’t want to tell those government types about this. I have a feeling they might not believe us.”

Lorne nodded, “Rumors spreading like wild fire all over town today. Cora opened her shop this morning and people were flocking there all day long. The whole town thinks the devil’s come to pay us a visit.”

“Well, the guy we’re looking for - Ronon called him Kolya - qualifies as the devil.”

“Ronon and Teyla?”

“Don’t think they’re evil, but… I don’t know. But I reckon it’s time we found out who they are and what they’re here for.”

After taking another drink of coffee, Sheppard stood up, “You get hold of Woolsey?”

“Yes, he was with a customer at the store, said he’d head to the hotel as soon as he was done.”

“Okay, let’s go find out what we probably don’t want to know. Lock up.”

Savannah was in the lobby checking in a guest when they entered. Motioning for Lorne to go on, Sheppard waited until she was finished, then leaned over the counter.

“You all right?”

Her dark-green eyes sparkled in the lamplight, “If you’re asking whether I regretted anything about last night, no, I don’t.”

“Good,” he brushed his fingers along her cheek, “me neither. Curious about what Ronon and Teyla have to say?”

“I am.”

“Come on, you heard everything last night, you need to hear what’s happening.”

Savannah opened a door to the office behind the desk, telling the desk clerk she was stepping away. She joined Sheppard in the lobby, and he slid his arms around her. As he started to kiss her, the door opened and Woolsey walked in.

The mayor crossed his arms over his chest, “I suspected this might happen.”

Sheppard stepped away, “Richard, uh…”

Woolsey put up his hand, “We’ll talk about this later. I believe we have more pressing matters.” He brushed past them into the dining room.

Savannah stood on tiptoe and whispered, “Don’t worry, John. He's harmless, I promise.”

Sheppard followed her, hoping she was right. Criminals were one thing. Upset fathers were something else.

Ronon was leaning against the wall, appearing annoyed. Teyla nodded when they entered, and Sheppard introduced Woolsey. They'd met Savannah earlier. Sheppard motioned for Brenner to stand by the door. He pulled out a chair for Savannah, then sat across from Teyla.

“Start talking.”

“We are exactly who we told you, and now you are aware we are military."

“Where are you from?”

Teyla glanced at Ronon, then said, “There is much we should not tell you, but I fear we must. The fact is, you are not ready for this knowledge. We should not be here. We are not from your planet.”

Woolsey grunted, “That’s preposterous.”

Teyla’s eyebrow raised as she responded, “Preposterous? From your perspective, I can understand how this must sound to you. However, it is true. We are from the Atlantian Alliance, an association of many planets located on the far side of the galaxy.”

Sheppard leaned forward, elbow on the table, “Let’s say for a moment that we believe you. Why are you here?”

Teyla leaned back in her chair, “The Alliance is currently facing an enemy called the Genii. They are as technically advanced as we are, actually, more so. We do not have site-to-site transport yet. Where we differ is they prefer to assimilate planets under their name, while we prefer to bring new planets into the Alliance as partners. The Alliance is young and by its nature, issues must be decided by the entirety. The Genii does not look to their conquests for approval. That gives them a great advantage.”

Woolsey was impatient, blurting out, “Answer the sheriff’s question, why are you here?”

Ronon moved away from the wall. In the small dining room, he was an imposing figure, standing at least six-foot-five, the dreads alone filling the room. He sat down next to Teyla, and stared at Woolsey.

“We received information that a Genii ship was scouting this quadrant of the galaxy. They are known to take slaves, and we were concerned about any populated planets in the sector. The Alliance dispatched a battlecruiser to intervene if necessary. We have been following them. When they dispatched a scout ship, Teyla and I followed in a shuttle. After intercepting a communication, we discovered Commander Acastus Kolya, the most vicious of all the Genii, was the sole occupant of the ship. Kolya is wanted for many crimes, and we decided this might be the best opportunity. We need to neutralize him.”

Sheppard asked, “That still doesn’t tell me how you ended up here.”

“He entered your solar system and checked out the fourth planet from the sun. Sensors indicated that planet was uninhabited and Kolya headed for the third planet, yours. Unfortunately, our cloaking device failed, and he spotted us. We attempted to evade, managing to re-engage the cloak, but soon began to lose power. We searched for a suitable place to land to make repairs.”

Spreading his hands, Sheppard appeared puzzled, “Why Bodie? What was suitable about this place?”

“You have gold,” Teyla answered.

“Gold? What does gold have to do with this?”

She raised an eyebrow, “A precious metal here, but in the Alliance, gold is plentiful and is used in many engine components. We had a failure in a power control unit, the part currently in your jail. We established a place to live to learn how you mined gold, and secured enough gold to make repairs.”

Savannah interrupted, “I’m curious. I’m having difficulty believing you. Not that I don’t, but if you are from another world, how do you speak our language?”

Teyla smiled, “Actually, we are speaking in our native language. However, we have a translator chip embedded in our brain that can learn a new language, translate it and allow us to speak in yours.”

Sheppard shook his head, “Too much to understand. I’m going to make a small leap here. The object crashed on the plateau is Kolya’s ship?”

Ronon nodded, “Yes.”

“What happened?”

“We landed not too far from the stream where we camped. The cloaking device was working intermittently. When we were visible, Kolya’s sensors could pick us up. When he found us, we had just enough time to get off a shot and took his ship down. He survived by deploying the ship’s escape pod.”

Teyla continued, “We believe he was injured in the blast and did not begin to look for us for several days, which gave us time to get a head start on repairs.”

“What are you planning on doing now?” Sheppard met Ronon’s gaze, “I can’t believe you intend to stay here.”

“We do not,” Ronon replied.

“How can we help?”

Teyla said, “We should be able to repair our shuttle and return to the Alliance cruiser. We need to leave here. Our policy is not to contact planets without technology. However,” she looked at Ronon, “we cannot leave until Kolya is either captured or dead.”

Sheppard stood up, “Then we help you. The snow is letting up, but it’s going to be dark soon. At first light, we’ll load the engine part on the buckboard and head for your ship.”

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard returned to the jail with Lorne, neither speaking on the way. The snow was letting up, but an icy wind was blowing from the west. The dark-gray sky was turning dark purple on the horizon, the only indication the sun was retreating for the day.

When they arrived at the jail, Sheppard added more wood to the stove and sat down, not bothering to take off his coat.

Lorne plopped down in the chair across the desk. Pushing his hat back on his head, he whistled low. “Gotta admit this is strange.”

Leaning back in his chair, hands behind his head, Sheppard said, “No problem admitting that.” He tapped on the stack of drawings and notes of the crash site on his desk, “No… not sending these to anyone. I think we’d end up in some insane asylum if we did.” He grabbed the stack and stuffed the papers into a desk drawer.

“You believe them after hearing all that?”

Sheppard’s eyebrows knitted together, “I do… I believe they are telling us the truth but…”

A low grunt escaped Lorne, “But… seems too crazy to be true, but it must be.”

“I think we help Ronon and Teyla, and then we forget any of this ever happened.”

“I’m all right with that.”

Sheppard stood up and slipped off his coat, “I don’t want to take a big group out tomorrow. The fewer people who know the whole story the better we will all be. See if Wayne’s healed enough to work tomorrow. We’ll leave him and Pete here along with the volunteer deputies. I want you, Brenner and Rodriguez with me tomorrow. Let them all know.”

Lorne acknowledged the sheriff’s orders and left to carry them out. Sheppard slouched in his chair, the conversation with Ronon and Teyla running through his mind. He chuckled, “More exciting than St. Louis.”

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard pulled out his pocket watch. It was near seven in the evening, the time he told Savannah he’d return. Teyla and Ronon were going to stay at the hotel overnight and he and Savannah, along with Mayor Woolsey, were going to have dinner with them. He put the notes from the crash back into the desk, checked the fire and grabbed his coat.

He stepped onto the sidewalk, turning the collar of his leather coat up against the wind. As he was locking the jailhouse door, a shout startled him. It was Jose, the cook at the Sierra Inn and a part-time deputy.

“Sheriff, come quick… we got a problem at the hotel.”

Sheppard ran to him, “What’s happened?”

“There is a stranger, he made a comment to Senorita Savannah. Senior Caldwell confronted him. They are fighting.”

“Lorne’s in his room, go get him and find Brenner and Rodriguez.”

“Si, Sheriff.”

Sheppard ran toward the hotel, his heart pounding. There were few people out on such a cold night. He noted the lobby was empty as he raced toward the dining room. Approaching the door, he heard a voice he wouldn’t soon forget… Kolya. He drew his gun and entered.

Quickly, he surveyed the scene, his blood turning as cold as the night. There were few people in the dining room. Beckett was kneeling on the floor tending to Ronon, who appeared to have a burn on his chest. McKay was holding Teyla steady, her right cheek red and swollen. Caldwell was standing in the middle of the room, his nose bloody and a burn on his upper arm, Elizabeth Weir trying to pull him aside. Sheppard’s attention, however, focused on Kolya, standing a few feet from Caldwell, holding his weapon to Savannah’s head.

Lowering his weapon, he walked past Caldwell. “Let her go.”

Kolya was dressed in a dark-brown frock-coat and pants, and a green shirt, likely taken from Cora’s shop. He smiled, “Why would I want to let her go? She's a pretty woman and I like pretty women.”

“What do you want, Kolya?”

“Oh, you know who I am. I guess the commanders have told you all about me. That I am evil.” He laughed, “I am, by the way, evil. As for what I want,” he pointed to Teyla, “they know what I need.”

“Not going to happen. You need to give yourself up, but first let Savannah go.”

“Savannah… that’s a beautiful name. The way you said her lovely name, I have a feeling she must mean something to you.” He reached around Savannah, pulling up his coat sleeve, revealing a thick metal cuff. “You have until sundown tomorrow to turn over the ship, or the beautiful Savannah dies. Meet me at the place we had our first encounter.” He pressed a button, and the edges of the cuff began to glow.

Teyla yelled, “Don’t let him touch it again.”

Sheppard raised his Peacemaker but couldn’t get a clear shot. Grinning broadly, Kolya touched a glowing blue button and he and Savannah vanished.

Sheppard stood still, riveted to the floor, barely able to breathe. Forcing himself to calm down, he turned in time to see Lorne enter, Woolsey rushing past him.

The mayor’s eyes darted around the room, then focused on Sheppard, “John, where is Savannah?”

Walking to Woolsey, Sheppard said, “He took her, but I promise I’ll get her back.” He whirled around. “Doc, how bad is Ronon hurt?”

Before Beckett could answer, Ronon stood up, “I’m fine. We can find her.”

Doctor Biro entered, Rodriguez and Brenner with her. Beckett directed her to see to Caldwell’s wounds, while he examined Teyla’s injury.

Motioning Ronon to follow him, Sheppard led him to a quieter spot. “I don’t want more information than they’ve already seen to get out. How can you find her?”

“We have to get our ship fixed, then we’ll have enough power to run the sensors. Without the control unit, we bypassed what power we had to the cloak.”

Sheppard bit his lower lip, afraid to ask the next question, but he did, “Will he hurt her?”

“He’s capable, but I don’t think he will. He wants our ship. He's too smart to do anything foolish.”

“Okay… we need to get to your ship.” He called out, “Lorne,” motioning for the deputy.

Lorne hurried over, “What are we going to do?”

“We’re going after her. I want to keep the group small. Get Pete, Wayne if he’s up to it, Brenner, Rodriguez… that’s it. We leave at first light.”

As Lorne turned to leave, Ronon said, “Wait. We can go now. It will take us a few hours to replace the power control and recalibrate everything.”

“How? It’s pitch black out there.”

“Remember the crates we loaded on the wagon?” Sheppard nodded and Ronon squeezed his shoulder, “We have lights. We can go tonight.”

“Then let’s go. Lorne, get everyone together. We’re going now.”

After checking on Teyla, who was only slightly injured, Sheppard walked over to Caldwell and Elizabeth Weir. He said, “Nasty looking eye there, Caldwell.”

“I’d like to say, wish you could see the other guy, but I never got a chance to lay a hand on him.”

“Thanks for trying to protect her.”

“Savannah’s a good woman.” He looked at Elizabeth, “Good women are hard to find. Just wish I could have stopped him.”

Elizabeth asked, “What happened? Where did they go?”

“Long story, I’ll tell you when we get back.”

Caldwell asked, “Get back?”

“We’re going after her now. Thank you again.”

Ronon and Lorne were waiting on them. Lorne said, “Paul and Ramon went upstairs to help Teyla with the few things they have here.”

“First stop, the jail for ammunition, then to the stables.”

~ooOoo~

 

Pete had saddled Blackjack and led him outside by the time Sheppard had helped Ronon rig what Ronon called a spotlight to the front of the buckboard. It was a large round object with a glass front panel and a mounting frame. Ronon handed a smaller spotlight to Sheppard.

“This is a handheld light. Just flip this switch to turn it on.”

Nodding Sheppard replied, “Let’s wait until we get to the edge of town. Somehow I think these things are going to be hard to explain.”

Hearing a familiar voice, Sheppard turned around to see McKay and Woolsey approaching. He sighed, “You two need to stay here.”

“They took my daughter, John. I’m going.”

McKay said, “Me, too.” Beckett was following McKay.

“And me.”

Sheppard turned around to see Caldwell leading his horse toward them. “You don’t need…”

“Yes, I do. That bastard can’t get away with this.”

“It’s not that I don’t want you along but….”

“Sheppard, I know what’s going on. I’ve been talking to Hammond about buying the paper. I happened to see the drawings from the crash site. Whatever crashed out there is not from here.”

“All right. Thanks, we could use the help.” He noticed Woolsey was carrying a bundle, “Richard. What's that?”

“Savannah’s cloak and some blankets. It’s cold out here.”

“Good thinking.” He looked at the group, “Mount up.”

When they reached the edge of town, Ronon turned on the spotlight, casting a bluish glow into the darkness. Sheppard and Lorne took point and led the way. Travel was slow, and it was after midnight before they reached the site where they camped two nights before.

Sheppard halted the convoy, “Which way Ronon?”

“To the left about a half-mile.”

~ooOoo~

 

Savannah woke up shivering and disoriented. She was lying on the freezing ground, and as she pushed herself up, dizziness and nausea overcame her, and she retched. When she could take a breath, she heard laughter.

“Everyone gets sick the first time they transport. You will get used to it.”

The man called Kolya was sitting in the doorway of a round object about the size of a stagecoach. A lamp sat next to him and in the blue-white glow, Savannah could only think how evil he looked.

“I have no intention of getting used to it.”

“You may have to. You are quite beautiful. I might decide to take you with me.”

“I’d sooner die.”

“That can be arranged as well.”

She stood up, her legs shaking, barely holding her up. The wind was icy, and she was bitterly cold. “Can you at least build a fire?”

Kolya stood up and walked toward her, limping. John told her he shot at him earlier but wasn’t certain he’d hit him. A small measure of pleasure flowed through her, knowing he was in pain. As he got closer, Savannah fought the instinct to shy away from him, determined not to show this man fear. He grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her toward the object.

“Sit.” She didn’t move, and he pushed her down. “Sit or I will not give you anything to keep you warm.”

Pulling a couple of blankets from the small object, He threw one on the ground and snapped, “Either move over here, or I will take it away.” Then he dropped the other one to the ground.

Savannah scooted over onto the blanket, and Kolya picked up a canvas bag filled with clothes. The bag he stole from Cora’s shop. He rummaged through it, finding a jacket and child’s cloak and tossed it to Savannah.

“Put that on.”

She didn’t argue. She put on the jacket and slung the cloak around her shoulders. As she was doing that, Kolya brought a small round metal canister from the object and placed it in front of her. He sat down on the other blanket and touched the canister. Amber light and heat began to radiate from it.

Tugging the cloak tighter around her, she pointed to the canister, “What is that?”

“An emergency heater.”

“Thank you for the clothes.”

“Do not attempt to sway me by being nice. It will not work.”

“I have no intention on being nice to you. I’m not exactly fond of criminals.”

“I see Dex and Emmagan have poisoned you against me. How do you know I am not good, and they are evil?”

“I think the moment you kidnapped me, there wasn’t any doubt.”

He laughed, “You are feisty. I like that - maybe I will take you with me.”

“What kind of coach is that?” She jerked her head toward the object he’d been sitting in.

“You asked too many questions.”

“I know you are not from here. You’re from out there.” Savannah swept her arm toward the dark clouds.

“I see the always proper Atlantians have broken their own rules. They are never supposed to reveal themselves to primitive planets.”

“But you… they told us your planet was different. You enslave people.”

He grinned, “Among other things that we do.”

“You didn’t answer me.”

He glanced behind him, “That is an escape pod. When Dex got off that lucky shot and took my ship down, I had just enough time to get into the pod and eject. Lucky for you, I have a way off this backward rock. If I didn’t, I’d just have to take it over.”

“You would try, wouldn’t you?”

“Be quiet. I am tired, and I need to sleep.”

Wrapping another blanket around him, he leaned against the pod and dropped his head to his chest. Savannah waited and when his breathing was even, she quietly stood up and ran. He caught her before she'd covered twenty yards.

Grabbing her around the waist, he growled, “I was certain you would run, so I pretended to sleep. I was hoping you would realize you have no idea where you are and would not be foolish enough to try to get away.” He swung her around, “I was wrong.”

Kolya hit her in the jaw, and Savannah slumped to the ground, unconscious.

~ooOoo~

 

The last half-mile to the Atlantians’ ship took nearly an hour. Sheppard and Lorne walked their horses, leading the wagon through the rough terrain. When Ronon finally yelled stop, Sheppard was relieved, thoughts of what Kolya might do to Savannah whirling through his head. The ship couldn't be repaired soon enough for him.

After they dismounted, Lorne asked where the shuttle was and Teyla approached with a small metal box in her hand. Pointing it toward the darkness, she pressed a button and the ship appeared. The sleek, dark-gray hull was bathed in white light from small lamps running along the curved top. Twice as long as a stagecoach, the ship stood as tall.

Ronon, with help from Brenner, carried the power control unit from the buckboard to the ship, entering up a ramp that opened from the rear. Teyla told them there was little room for them inside while they were making repairs.

Sheppard tied Blackjack’s reins to a tall sagebrush limb, and sank onto the frigid ground. The wind picked up, and Sheppard couldn’t remember ever being so cold. He pulled a layer of the thick woolen scarf wrapped around his neck above his nose. He dropped his head in his hands, worry consuming him, knowing he couldn’t do a thing to help Savannah until Kolya was located.

Sensing someone sitting down next to him, Sheppard looked up. It was Woolsey.

“John, we have to find her.”

“We will. I promise.”

“Do you trust these two?”

“Yes, I do. I don’t believe they wanted any of this to happen.” Sheppard looked up, noting that Rodriguez and Brenner were bringing wood to a fire Caldwell had started. McKay was already warming himself over the meager flames, while Pete and Wayne were standing watch.

“Then I will, too. Maybe I should have never allowed her to come out here.”

“Not your fault, Richard. I’m glad you did.” Sheppard waited for Woolsey to respond, deciding he might as well get the conversation out in the open.

“Savannah told you she was married once?” Sheppard said yes and Woolsey continued, “He was a banker. I never liked him. Once they were married, she began to doubt her choice. She wouldn’t admit it, but I could tell. Turned out he was a thief, embezzled a large sum of money from the bank and fled to Europe. Four years later, we heard he’d been killed by a robber in Italy. That was four years ago. Savannah withdrew, working at the hotel but never having any fun. I thought having her here with me would be good for both of us. When she got here, I began to see the old Savannah, gracious, happy, fun loving, interested in life. I wanted to believe it was because of me, but it isn’t. I see how she lights up when you’re around.” He paused, “Know this, if you hurt her, I will not be happy.”

Sheppard felt a huge worry lift from his shoulders. He respected Woolsey, and he wanted his approval. “I promise. I'll never hurt her.”

Beckett walked up, “Here,” holding out a silver flask, “a wee shot of whiskey will warm you up.”

Sheppard and Woolsey both took a swig and as the fire began to blaze, moved closer to the warmth to wait.

When Teyla walked down the ramp over an hour later, Sheppard jumped up. “Fixed?”

Teyla nodded, “Yes, Sheriff. It took some doing, but we are now at full power. We have notified our people. They are following the Genii ship, which is headed in this general direction. We do not know if they are on the way here after picking up a distress beacon from the emergency pod Kolya used. Please come inside, Ronon is recalibrating the sensors. We should know where they are very soon.”

Sheppard followed her into the shuttle, astonished by the interior. The rear compartment was lined with two benches and numerous storage compartments. A doorway led to a compartment covered with strange instruments, glowing in ambers, blues and greens. A large window looked into the pitch-black night. Four chairs filled the floor space.

Ronon was sitting in the left front chair and turned as Sheppard arrived, “Good timing, sensors just came up.” He pressed a square amber button, and a map of the area appeared in thin air.

Sheppard gasped, “How did you do that?”

“I could tell you but it is technology far beyond that which you possess now.” Ronon pointed to the display, “To the west, that glowing area is Bodie. We are picking up the heat from the people and from the fireplaces. This, this, and these are likely mining camps.” He touched the shimmering display, and a faint glow became brighter as the area enlarged. Soon two distinct red dots next to a brighter red dot became visible.

He turned, looking at Sheppard, “That has to be Kolya and the woman.”

“How far away?”

“About six miles south of here.”

“That far? In the dark it will take us over two hours.”

“We can get there much faster in the shuttle, a matter of minutes.”

~ooOoo~

 

A low hum was the only indication that Ronon had powered up the shuttle. Sheppard and Woolsey were sitting in the front compartment. The others, save Wayne and Pete, who stayed behind with the horses, were sitting in the rear.

McKay called out, “Is this thing safe?”

Teyla replied, “I promise that you are perfectly safe. Remember we travel through space in this shuttle.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Caldwell grumbled, “Not too fond of this, myself.”

Beckett pulled out his flask, “Here, Rodney, maybe this will give you a wee bit of courage.”

McKay grabbed the flask and took a big swig.

In the front compartment, Sheppard watched in awe as Wayne and Pete, standing next to the fire, became smaller as the shuttle rose into the night sky. He leaned over, watching Ronon moving a short black lever.

“Can he see us coming?”

“No, we’re cloaked, which also blots out the engine noise. We’ll only become visible if we have to fire our weapons.”

“Weapons? Those I’d like to see, but not this time.”

“I would prefer that as well.”

Sheppard tapped the console, “Does he have weapons on this… uh… escape pod?”

Teyla answered, “No. The pod would only have limited life support, oxygen, some food and water. No weapons are stored on the pods but a distress beacon likely activated when he crashed. Which is why the Genii cruiser is coming in this direction. However, we cannot detect a beacon, so we believe his power may be completely drained. We assume he has been using power from the pod in order to use the site-to-site transfer device. The band he wears is the control unit - the main device is likely a portable unit aboard the escape pod.”

“What about that site-to-site thing.”

“Ronon nodded, “That’s a possible problem but Teyla thinks he’s run out of power in the escape pod. The device has to have a power source to draw from."

“We are at the coordinates,” Ronon announced.

Standing up, Sheppard could see the escape pod illuminated by a campfire. Kolya was sitting on the ground, leaning against the pod. On the other side of the fire was a body wrapped in a blanket. Savannah.

Woolsey was also standing, “John?”

He reached out, squeezing Woolsey’s shoulder, “I’m sure she’s just keeping warm.” As he spoke, Sheppard’s heart pounded against his ribs. He would kill Kolya if he hurt her.

Ronon turned the shuttle around, “We need to find a place to land.”

~ooOoo~

 

Savannah felt something tugging her arm, and she swatted at whatever was annoying her. She was almost warm, and she didn’t want to move. A kick to her hip caused her to yelp.

“Stop.”

“Get up.” Kolya grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her to her feet. He dragged her to the pod and hooked her bound hands over the hatch lever. “Don’t move.” He walked to the heater and pushed a button, the amber light faded.

What’s going on?”

“We are about to have company.”

Savannah’s jaw was swollen and painful, but she managed to speak, “How do you know someone’s coming.”

“I heard something.”

“For someone who thinks he’s so powerful you seem scared.”

Kolya pulled a cylinder from the pocket of the stolen coat he was wearing, replacing one he pulled from his weapon. He then turned toward her. “I am not scared of these Atlantians.”

“Really? I think you are scared of all of them. You can’t win, you know that.”

He crossed the distance between them in two long strides, his hand closing around her throat. Squeezing hard, he sneered, “You can attempt to anger me all you want, but it will not work.”

She couldn’t breathe as his fingers pressed deep into her neck. He continued to squeeze for a few more seconds, then released her. She coughed roughly, gasping for air. Her voice raspy, Savannah said, “You just proved how scared you are, taking your fear out on me.”

Kolya raised his hand, and backhanded her. Savannah’s head snapped to the side, slamming her face against the pod, blood flowing down her cheek from a deep gash on her forehead. He bent over, his tone harsh, “Be quiet, or I will kill you now.”

Over the forlorn sound of the wind, Savannah heard a lone wolf baying in the distance. Gazing at the stars scattered across the heavens, she realized she would never look at the night sky the same way again. Kolya was pacing, not staring upward but into the darkness surrounding them. She was positive he was nervous. He should be. John Sheppard was coming for her.

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard was hunkered behind a large boulder, Ronon to his left, McKay to his right. They were waiting for a signal from Teyla, who was circling the pod with the others. Ronon and Teyla were wearing a small wire over their ears, what they called communication devices. Ronon mumbled, “Understood,” then told Sheppard, “They are in place.” Sheppard took off his leather duster for better access to his sidearm, picked up his rifle and stood up. Ronon tugged him back down.

“You should let me go first.”

Sheppard replied, “No. We go together. I promised Woolsey I’d get her back.”

“We go together then.”

Stepping from behind the rock, the two men walked through the darkness. As they closed in on the pod, a voice cut through the wind.

“They’ll be here soon, Kolya.”

Sheppard tensed. It was Savannah. The next voice he heard was low, indistinct.

Ronon tapped him on the shoulder, “Time for lights.” Speaking into his com, he said, “Now.”

Beams of bright light from three of the large spotlights illuminated the pod. It took a second for Sheppard to adjust to the light but when he did, fury welled in him. Kolya was holding his weapon against Savannah’s side. The fact her face was bloody only fueled his anger.

“Let her go,” Sheppard yelled, his rifle raised.

Kolya smiled, “Dex. You letting the primitives speak for you now?”

“These people are more civilized than you will ever be, Kolya. Now, like the sheriff said, let her go. If you cooperate, we will take you back alive. If not, you die. Your choice.”

“I will kill her if you don’t hand over your ship. If you do that, I might let you and the lovely Teyla live. Now drop your weapons, and take me to the shuttle. I have a rendezvous to make with a Genii cruiser.”

Sheppard took a step forward, “I said, let her go. You don’t get anything unless she’s safe. I really don’t care what the Atlantians want to do with you, I’ll kill you myself.”

Kolya moved his weapon, pressing it to Savannah’s neck. “Do not threaten me. I have not decided if I am going to take her with me.” He dragged the tip of his gun across her neck. “She is lovely.”

“You’re surrounded, Kolya. These people are not afraid to fight, and they are not afraid of you.”

As Ronon spoke, the others walked into the light. Teyla appeared from behind the pod, “As you can see, Ronon is correct. Please let Savannah go and we will happily negotiate with you.”

Kolya tightened his grip on Savannah. With his right hand, he reached over to his left wrist and pressed the button to activate the site to site transfer. Nothing happened. Frantic, he pressed harder. While he was distracted, McKay, who was closest to Savannah, rushed toward her, grabbing her arm. He managed to drag her loose, and she ran toward Lorne, who pulled her out of the light. Kolya slugged McKay in the abdomen, knocking the breath out of him, and he fell to the ground, dropping his rifle. Kolya picked it up and turned around, aiming at Sheppard.

Sheppard, knowing that Savannah was safe, was focused on Kolya. “Now you pay for hurting her.” He pulled the trigger at the same time as Kolya. White-hot searing pain tore through Sheppard’s side, but his aim was better. A bullet hit Kolya in the center of his chest. The Genii looked down at the blood flowing from his chest, then fell to the ground.

Savannah and her father rushed to Sheppard, barely beating Beckett. Lorne followed behind, assisting McKay to walk. Dropping to her knees, Savannah cradling his head, asked, “John, can you hear me?”

“I can hear you. Kolya, is he dead?”

Lorne looked toward the pod, where Ronon and Teyla were examining Kolya’s body. “Looks like you got him, Sheriff.”

Beckett opened the saddlebag he’d slung over his shoulder, pulling out bandages. “Laddie, looks like the bullet went all the way through your side. Gotta get this bleeding stopped and get you back to Bodie.”

“That can be arranged, Doctor. We will take him in the shuttle. I will bring the ship closer so we do not have to carry him far.”

As Beckett tended to his wound, Sheppard motioned to McKay, “Rodney, are you okay?”

Sitting down on the ground next to Sheppard, “He hit me really hard, but I’m all right.”

“Thanks for grabbing Savannah. You saved her life. I… I …”

“No need to thank me, couldn’t let anything happen to her.”

After bandaging Sheppard’s wound, Beckett turned his attention to Savannah. “If John hadn’t killed that bastard, I’d do it for him.” He gently wiped the blood from her face. “We’ll get you fixed up when we get to the surgery.”

Within minutes, Ronon returned and Brenner and Rodriguez carried Sheppard inside, while Caldwell and Lorne placed Kolya’s body inside the escape pod. Teyla secured the door to the pod. As soon as she was onboard, Ronon lifted off.

~ooOoo~

 

The smell of coffee roused him, and Sheppard opened his eyes, only to close them quickly. Bright sunlight streamed through the windows, and he hated bright light when he woke up. He heard a soft laugh and slowly opened his eyes, trying to adjust. The light was softer. Savannah was at the window pulling the sheer under-drapes across the window.

Pushing himself up, he winced as the wound in his side protested at the movement. Savannah sat on the edge of the bed and handed him a cup of coffee. “I’m sorry. I forgot you hate bright sunlight.”

“Only when I wake up, otherwise I like the sun.” He took a sip of coffee, “Thank you for the coffee.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Better, pain didn’t wake me up last night.” He ran his fingers along her cheek, “How ‘bout you? The swelling is definitely not as bad, but the bruising is a bit darker.”

“At least it's not as sore. Carson changed the bandage on my forehead this morning, says the cut is healing well.”

Sheppard took another drink of coffee then sat the cup down. He slipped a hand around Savannah’s neck and pulled her to him, kissing her. After a moment, she pulled away, “Nothing more I would rather do than stay right here all day, but I believe Ronon and Teyla wish to leave today. They’re downstairs for breakfast. Do you feel well enough to go?”

“Yes, I want to see them before they leave and find out what they got done.”

“Then let’s get you dressed.” She started to get up and he pulled her down again.

Whispering, he said, “As long as you help me undress later.”

“Oh, I plan on that, Sheriff Sheppard.” She kissed him quickly and pulled the covers off. “Now, get up.”

~ooOoo~

 

“I must say, Savannah, the food you serve is quite good and not unlike what we have on my world.” Teyla reached for another biscuit, fighting Ronon for one.

“I’m glad you enjoyed our food. Jose is an excellent cook. I must say, I would love to sample your food someday.”

“Perhaps one day, you will.”

Sharing breakfast with them were Woolsey, McKay, Beckett and Lorne. Sheppard chuckled as McKay snatched the last biscuit from the basket after casting a wary eye at Ronon.

Nibbling on his own biscuit, Sheppard asked, “So, were your people able to cover up the crash site?”

Ronon nodded, “Yes. The recovery team scavenged parts still recognizable, to examine. Then a few well-placed blasts from the laser cannon and no signs the ship was ever there. We transported the escape pod aboard the ship, and cremated the body.”

McKay shuddered, “Good riddance.”

“I’ll say,” Woolsey added.

Sheppard asked, “What now, time for you to leave?”

“It is. Our ship is waiting behind your moon. Even though cloaked, there are telescopes on your planet, and we feel it would be better not to risk anyone getting a glimpse of the ship.” Teyla paused, glancing at Ronon, “We would like to apologize for not being honest with you when we first met. You must understand we are charged with not interfering in the development of worlds that do not have space flight.”

“I can understand. This was all so unknown to us and to be honest, unnerving.”

McKay burst out, “Unnerving? It was downright scary.”

Ronon said, “We cannot guarantee the Genii will not return, but we feel confident Kolya was not able to communicate anything about your planet to his ship. We will notify the Alliance of your existence, and someday they will return and hopefully a friendship will begin.”

Richard Woolsey spoke, “Ronon, Teyla, if it matters, we consider your friends. Personally, I would like to thank you for helping save my daughter.”

Teyla, her smile broad and warm, answered, “We were honored to help. We helped create this problem. We needed to end it.”

Ronon stood, “It is time for us to depart.”

The group followed Ronon and Teyla to the rear of the hotel where Brenner and Rodriguez were guarding the cloaked shuttle.

As they said their good-byes, Teyla pulled Sheppard aside and whispered something to him. Rejoining the others, Sheppard hugged Teyla and shook Ronon’s hand. “I want to add my thanks for your help in bringing Savannah back to us.”

Ronon stood before him, “Sheppard, on my world, I am known as a powerful warrior. I want you to know I would be proud to have you fighting at my side.”

“Thank you, you know we’ll never forget you, either of you. The frontier looks new, and there are so many question I hope will be answered someday.”

Teyla said, “Just don’t tell anyone.”

Sheppard and the others stepped back as the two alien visitors opened the ramp and stepped inside. Only a small disturbance of the sagebrush told them the shuttle was gone.

~ooOoo~

 

Sheppard was changing into the cotton long underwear he preferred to sleep in when Savannah entered the bedroom. She was wearing a white cotton nightgown, tied with pink satin ribbon, and she was carrying a bottle of champagne and two glasses.

Sheppard asked, eyebrow upraised, “Champagne?”

She smiled as she sat the bottle and glasses on a table next to the window, “A celebration. We’ve experienced something no one could possibly imagine. I thought we should spend a moment remembering.”

He joined her, slipping his arms around her. “You look beautiful. I love this nightgown.” He tugged on the ribbon, and she smacked his hand. “Don’t be impatient, champagne first. Open this please.”

Sheppard popped the cork, and Savannah held the glasses as he poured. He raised his glass, “A toast to the most beautiful woman I have ever seen. I love you.” They clinked glasses and then kissed.

“I love you very much. But you should know, my father told me he was looking the other way about our current sleeping arrangements - he added, 'at least for the moment'.”

“I expected as much.”

“John, I don’t want you to feel you have to…”

He kissed her, “Marry you? I want to marry you, the sooner the better.”

He sat his glass down and grabbed his jacket from the hook on the door, pulling a small object from the pocket.

“What’s that?”

“Teyla left something for you. A necklace given to her by her mother. She was very sorry you’d been placed in danger and wanted you to have this.” He held out a necklace made of what appeared to be a fine silver chain, with a pendant made of a sparkling olive-green stone.

“It’s beautiful, John. But you shouldn't have accepted something that was precious to her.”

“I tried, but she insisted.” He fastened the necklace around her neck, “It looks lovely on you. A gift from the stars.”

They stood arms entwined, gazing out the window. Savannah whispered, “Every night we should look to the sky and wonder where they are.”

Sheppard replied, “Wherever they are, I think they’ll be watching.”

 

The end

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed Sheriff Sheppard and the wild west. 
> 
> Again thanks to Anuminis for this amazing art prompt... it was an honor to write this for you.


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